This Could Be the Beginning of a Beautiful Prank
by LucyBlue
Summary: Fred and George Weasley are brilliant jokesters with a problem: they're having trouble researching their new products. Enter Amy Cassidy, a Ravenclaw student with a love of jokes and Muggle novels. What will happen when she starts helping them out?
1. Ch1: The Beginning

**AUTHORS NOTE:** I don't like posting Authors notes at the beginning but I've realised recently that a lot of readers start reading the first chapter and then abandon. Please don't! I know none of the main characters are in this chapter yet, but I really wanted to introduce my originals, especially Amy Cassidy, the main character. So please keep reading! I promise you won't regret it! Also: _REVIEW_!!

**CHAPTER 1: The Beginning**

'SNAP!'

Card. Card. Card. Card. Card. Card. Card. Card-

'SNAP!'

Card. Card. Card. Card. Card-

'SNAP!'

'BOOOOM!'

Amy Cassidy and her friends rolled around laughing at the surprised expression on Bethany Young's face.

'Yeah, yeah... Hilarious guys...' Bethany ran her hands over her face to inspect the damage. 'Oh great! My eyebrows are singed!'

Her friends just howled hysterically.

'Guys!' Bethany said desperately. 'A little help?'

'Sorry, Beth.' Amy took a deep breath trying to calm down. 'Come here...'

Bethany moved closer.

'Close your eyes.' Amy instructed. Bethany obeyed, and Amy waved her wand over her face, a small smile tugging at her lips.

'OK. All fixed.'

'Thanks Amy.' Bethany said gratefully, opening her eyes and looking around at her friends who all seemed to be holding back grins.

'What?' she said worriedly.

'Nothing, nothing.' Eddie Carmichael said hastily, after a fleeting look at Amy.

'No, seriously guys.' Bethany said looking around at her friends. 'What's wrong? What have you done?' she said accusingly, looking at Amy.

'Me?' Amy said innocently, batting her eyelashes as her friends smothered their laughter.

'Yes, you.' Bethany said narrowing her eyes. 'I've seen that innocent look before and I've known you too long for it to work on me.'

'I don't know _what_ you're talking about Bethany.' Amy smiled sweetly.

Suddenly the train jolted to a stop.

'Oh look. We're here.' Amy said stuffing the Exploding Snap cards and the remains of the Chocolate Frogs into her satchel. The others followed suite, repacking belongings, checking pets' cages and chatting. Every few moments someone would glance at Bethany and smother a giggle as she desperately tried to see her reflection in the compartment window.

'Come on!' Amy said as she checked that Figaro, her black and white cat, was safely enclosed in his cat-basket.

She led the way out of the compartment as Bethany was rummaging in her bag for her mirror.

'I think you might just make it.' Jacob Clearwater commented as they stepped off the train onto the smoky and busy platform.

'AMY!!!!!'

'Or not.' Daisy Brocklehurst smirked.

'I think I'd better go find my parents before-'

'Amy!! Get back here right now!'

'-that.' Amy said glancing behind her. She could see Bethany pushing her way through the crowds.

'See you guys!' Her friends grinned as she made a run for it.

'Amy Sophie Elaeth Cassidy! Get back here right now and make my eyebrows the right colour!'

Amy quickly slipped through a gap in the crowd of students and made her way to the front of the queue where the porter was letting students through the barrier a few at a time.

'Nearly there...' Amy thought, glancing behind her to check Bethany wasn't near. 'I might just-'

'Oh no you don't Cassidy!' Someone grabbed the back of Amy's T-shirt and pulled her out of the queue.

'So close...' Amy thought with a sigh, turning round to face her friend.

Bethany glared and pointed at her eyebrows.

'Fix. Now.'

Amy smiled innocently.

'But what is there to fix Beth? They look lovely!'

'I don't want lovely.' Bethany growled. 'I want _normal_! Normal as in blonde! Not blue with red stripes!'

Amy chuckled.

'You've got to admit it was a good one though...'

'FIX IT!'

'I can't.'

'_WHAT_?!'

'I've gotten off the train.'

'Your point?'

'I'm not seventeen.' Amy grinned.

Bethany's eyes widened as she realised what Amy was getting at.

'YOU MEAN I HAVE TO GO OUT THERE LIKE _THIS_?!'

Amy winced at the volume of Bethany's screech.

'It's not so bad, Beth.' Amy tried to reason, edging away from Bethany's increasingly purple face. 'Um...'

'Time to exit I think...' she thought.

Bethany's ears were slowly turning the same colour as her face, and this, Amy knew from experience, was never a good sign.

'See you Beth!'

Amy made a dash for the barrier dragging the trolley with her trunk behind her. She quickly slipped through the barrier, empty now that everyone had left.

She looked around, trying to spot her dad through the crowd of parents greeting their children.

'Amy!' Conary Cassidy waved at his daughter.

'Dad!' she hurried over to him and threw her arms around him.

'Where's mum?' she asked, looking round.

Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Bethany appear out of the barrier, pushing her trolley in front of her. She had her hand held up, as if shielding her eyes from the sun, though Amy knew he was really hiding her eyebrows from any Muggles.

Amy quickly turned her eyes back to her father's face, eager to avoid another confrontation with Bethany. She knew her father wouldn't be too pleased if he found out she'd been playing tricks on people again. As a serious, ex-Ravenclaw Ministry official, he disapproved of anything that could distract Amy from her studies.

Suddenly she noticed the harrassed and worried expression on her father's face. And was that fear in his eyes?

'What's wrong?' she said, starting to sense something was not quite right.

Her dad's hair was all messed up, as if he had been running his fingers through it regularly, not at all like his normal brushed and combed tidiness. Looking closer, Amy could see dark shadows udner his eyes, and his face seemed paler than usual, as if he hadn't slept in a while.

'What's wrong?!' she asked a bit more desperately.

Conary looked worried, and pushed his hands through his hair again as he said,

'It's your mum Amy.'

Amy suddenly felt as if she couldn't breath.

'What's wrong with her?' she managed to gasp.

Her dad shook his head.

'She was in a crash.'

And in that moment, Amy saw her world coming crashing down on her.

**

* * *

**

'Can I talk to her?' Amy asked the nurse as she stopped outside the door to her mother's room.

'Of course.' The nurse smiled. 'She's in a deep unconscious state-'

'A coma?'

'Yes.' The nurse nodded. 'But most people can still hear the people around them, even if their bodies can't respond.'

Amy nodded silently. The nurse smiled encouragingly as she opened the door. Amy stood there a moment, just taking in the small room.

It was a small room, painted a dingy pale yellow that was obviously supposed to be bright and comforting. To the right from the door was a large window showing the gloomy grey weather of London. There was a sofa under the window with a blanket folded neatly over the top and a chair next to the bed.

She barely registered the brilliant-coloured flowers arranged decoratively in navy vases around the bed.

She didn't noticed the large amount of bright get-well cards sent by family and friends.

She didn't notice the large quantity of boxes of sweets surrounding her.

All her attention was on her mother's pale face.

Slowly, she stepped closer to her mothers bed, her eyes not moving from her face.

'Mum...' Amy whispered drawing close enough to see the soft wrinkes in her mothers pale face.

She raised her hand to gently stroke her mothers cheek.

'I need to go and talk to your dad. I'll be back in ten minutes okay?' The nurse said, tactfully leaving Amy alone with her mother.

Amy didn't even hear her.

She lowered her hand and just looked at her mother. She had never before noticed the sweetness of her mothers features. The soft heart-shaped face. The clear, overly-pale skin. The laughter lines around her mouth and eyes. The soft black ringlet curls exactly like hers.

She knew as well that if her mother opened her eyes, she'd see the same inexplicable sweetness in her mothers blue eyes, so like her own.

She lowered her hand and gently took her mother slim white one in her own.

And suddenly, she understood why her mothers face looked so sweet.

'I love you mum.' Amy whispered softly.

Her mothers eyes didn't open, but her thin pale lips curved gently upwards as she breathed her last word.

'Amy...'

* * *

_Dear Bethany,_

_Thank you for your owl. It helped a lot. _

_I'm really sorry for turning your eyebrows blue, and I hope you managed to get them fixed. It seems a really stupid thing to have done knowing now that my mother was dying as I did it._

_I've realised a lot of things I've done this year are pretty stupid. I'll be keeping that in mind next year when we go back to Hogwarts. _

_The funeral is on Thursday, I really hope you can come. I've written to Daisy as well. I think I'll need a friendly face around somehow... Let me know if you can make it._

_Dad and I are going to stay with Uncle Morathy, Aunt Sylvie and the boys, in August, so if you can't come to the funeral I doubt I'll be seeing you until September 1st. _

_Hope you summer is better than mine._

_Amy_

'What do you think she means by-' Bethany checked the letter again, "I'll be keeping that in mind next year when we go back to Hogwarts".

She looked around worriedly at Daisy who was staying with her to be able to attend the funeral.

'It sounds like Amy is going to be changing.' Her friend looked just as worried as her after listening to the letter. 'And I don't think it's going to be for the better...'

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hey guys! OK this is the Introduction/Chapter 1 of my Fred & George fic. Chapter 2 is being edited and it will be up as soon as possible! Hopefully on Thursday before I leave on holiday. PLEASE REVIEW!! 

**Disclaimer:** All characters except my own aren't mine. They're JK Rowling's.


	2. Ch2: Fifth Year at the Start

**CHAPTER 2: Fifth Year at a Glance**

'Emma! Over here!'

'S'cuse me...'

'Neville! You've forgotten Trevor!'

'Tell us what's happening at Hogwarts!'

'Coming through!'

Bethany felt the train start to move beneath her feet as she made her way slowly through the crowded passage in the Hogwarts Express, trying to find her friends.

Thanks to her troublesome brother Andrew and his opposition to getting dressed in the mornings, she'd arrived late, _again_, and hadn't been able to find her friends before boarding the train with seconds to spare.

She moved slowly, trying to see through the people running in the corridor and into the compartments. About halfway through the train she finally spotted them.

'Hey guys.' She said sliding the door open and shoving her trunk onto the luggage rack.

'Hey Beth...' Daisy said distractedly. 'You haven't by any chance seen Amy on your way here right?'

'No.' Beth said. She glanced around the compartment and sighed.

'She hasn't turned up.'

It wasn't a question.

Her friends all shook their heads.

'This can't be good.' Beth sighed again.

'Well she's got to be on the train somewhere.' Kiandra reasoned.

'Lets split up.' Daisy nodded.

* * *

"_...But this idea was soon banished and her spirits were very differently affected, when, to her utter amazement, she saw Mr Darcy walk into the room. In a hurried manner he immediately began an enquiry after her health, imputing his visit to a wish of hearing that she were better. She answered him with cold civility. He sat down for a few moments, and then getting up walked about the room. Elizabeth was surprised, but said not a word. After a silence of several minutes he came towards her in an agitated manner, and thus began, 'In vain have I struggled. I t will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and-"_

'Amy!'

Startled, Amy lifted her head up from the book she was reading by the light of the window.

'Oh.' she said, lowering her head again as she realised who it was. 'Hello Daisy.'

Her friend sat down in front of her.

'What are you doing Amy?' Daisy asked her gently.

'Reading.' Amy pointed at her book.

Daisy shook her head.

'That's not what I meant.'

Amy didn't answer her.

'Why didn't you come to the compartment with me and the others?' Daisy asked.

'Because I wanted to read in peace.'

Daisy sighed.

'Please Amy?' Daisy said quietly. 'We're worried about you.'

'Why?' Amy looked up.

'You just...' Daisy struggled to find the right words. 'You just don't seem yourself.' she said finally.

'We haven't seen you all summer-'

'I've been away.'

'-You haven't answered any of our owls-' Daisy said, continuing as if she hadn't said anything.

'I've been busy.'

'And now you're hiding from us!' Daisy finished off.

'I'm not hiding!' Amy protested. 'I just wanted to read.'

'You can read in our compartment.' Daisy pointed out.

'Not if I want peace, I can't.' Amy retorted.

Daisy sighed.

'Well, we're there if you change your mind.' She stood up. 'And I hope you do.

Amy didn't say anything as her friend left the compartment.

* * *

'It is also my painful duty to inform you that the inter-house Quidditch Cup will not take place this year' 

Amy wasn't that bothered.

She'd tried out for Seeker in her third year, but had been beaten by her classmate, Cho Chang. Not that she could really blame them for not choosing her. She was well-known for her clumsiness.

Even though _she_ wasn't interested, she could tell that most of her classmates were. Especially Jacob. He'd always been the Quidditch fanatic of the group.

'This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy – but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts-'

Even Amy looked up as the door to the Great Hall flew open to reveal a terrifying-looking man wrapped in a travelling cloak and leaning on a long staff.

As he passed in between the tables to reach the Head table, Amy noticed several students gawping at him and some were muttering between them.

'Woah.' Amy heard Eddie mutter. 'Man, he's _ugly_.'

As soon as Amy had to agree with him.

The man had a horrible face. Not horrible as in your average ugly. But _frightening_. Half of his nose was missing, his mouth was twisted and every inch of his face seemed to be scarred.

His eyes were _really_ weird. One was small, dark and beady, the other was big, round and electric blue. The blue eye seemed to be able to move around independently of the smaller eye.

The stranger reached the Head table, and Dumbledore shook his hand, muttering quietly to him. The man nodded a few times and replied equally as quietly. Dumbledore smiled finally and gestured the man to the empty chair on his right hand-side.

Amy hadn't noticed until then that it had even been empty.

'May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher,' Dumbledore said cheerfully, into the stunned silence of the Hall. 'Professor Moody.'

As soon as he said it Amy heard several people gasp. Most wizards had heard of Mad-Eye Moody. He was an Auror. A really good one. The sort that make legends. She'd heard about him from her father who worked in the International Magical Office of Law.

Even Amy noticed how strange it was when nobody except Hagrid and Dumbledore clapped. And that was saying something. Since her mother's death she'd had even more trouble concentrating than usual. Only with her books, could she really pay attention.

Dumbledore resumed his speech again as Amy was thinking this. She made an effort to tune into what he was saying. If they were cancelling Quidditch, it must be for something important.

'-an event which has not been held for over a century. It is my great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year.'

Several people gasped but the tension in the Hall was abruptly broken.

'You're JOKING!'

Even Amy smiled. Around her, everyone was laughing. She couldn't see the face of who had said it. Sometimes being short had it's drawbacks. She could just see that it had come from the Gryffindor table and that the owner of the comment was someone with red hair.

'One of the Weasleys.' she thought immediately. Her dad had had several dealings with Arthur Weasley over illegal Muggle exploitations.

As Dumbledore started to explain the concept and process of the Triwizard Tournament, Amy tuned out. She'd read enough books during the summer to have read about the Tournament. Three schools, three champions and three challenges. The winner took home a thousand Galleons and their school got the Triwizard Tournament Cup.

'Basically, lots of action, lots of danger and lots of stupidity for a few Galleons.' Amy thought.

For something to do, she pulled out her book and began reading again.

She hadn't used to read so much. Her parents had always wanted her to read more, each for their own reasons.

Her father wanted her to improve her mind and culture her spirit.

Her mother, though, wanted her to be able to enjoy reading more, like she did. To read about fantastic creatures, lose herself in beautiful locations and experience beautiful love stories.

During the summer, Amy and her dad had gone to spend a few weeks with his brotherm, Morathy and family. Just before they'd left Amy had remembered her mother's wish.

She had picked up her mother's faourite classic, _Pride & Prejudice_ and started reading. After the first chapter she had reconsidered reading the whole book, but her mothers memory made her carry on and she ended up enjoying the story.

After that, she had started reading with a vengeance. She had brought back with her to school, basically her mother's whole book collection and she planned on making the most of it.

Her father wouldn't miss them. He was, apparently, trying to forget he ever even had a wife. Something Amy resented greatly, though she could understand it. Losing the one woman he had ever loved was very painful for him. Trying to forget her seemed to be his way of numbing the pain.

Her father had buried himself in his work after coming home, and was basically ignoring _her_ as well so Amy dedicated her time to sinking into an imaginary world.

Being in a fictional world full of imaginary people seemed to help ease the pain and numb the feeling of loneliness _she_ felt, though unlike her father, she was terrified of forgetting her mother.

'-your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!'

Amy suddenly realised Dumbledore's explanation had finished and everyone was standing up to leave the Hall. She slowly started to put her book away, not wanting to walk up to the dorm with her friends.

That was something else she'd noticed about herself since her mothers death. Before, she had always loved being in the centre of a large group of people, talking, laughing and having fun. Now... Now all she wanted to do was be by herself and read.

But was that so bad?

* * *

Amy was sitting on her own. Not that that was very strange. She spent a lot of time sitting and reading on her own. Her favourite spot was by the lake. A few days after coming back she'd discovered a place by the lake, under a sprawling oak tree, that was solitary, peaceful and perfect for reading in. 

She also loved the library with it's huge wooden shelves piled high with tons of interesting old books. Before this year she had never really looked around the library properly, just going in there to look for a research book for some essay, normally. But now she found it a relaxing, quiet place to read in without being interrupted by Bethany or Daisy or any of her friends trying to get her to join in the conversation.

She appreciated their efforts, but she didn't _want_ to have to talk to people.

And when she did actually hang out for a bit in the common room, she normally ended up tuning out, as all everyone seemed to be able to talk about lately was the eminent arrival of the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students.

Sometimes though, like last night, _not_ listening in on the conversation was slightly, well...impossible.

The topic of conversation had finally changed, but Amy wasn't sure it was for the better. The much awaited arrival of the foreign students had finally arrived and it seemed that _that_ was all the students could talk about.

Bethany had gone on and on and on and on and on and _on _and (okay you get the gist of it) about Viktor Krum, about whether to try and get his autograph or not and whether there was a possibility that he had a girlfriend back in Bulgaria.

'And did you see those Hufflepuffs fawning over him?' Bethany demanded. 'Lipstick! They wanted him to sign their _bags_ with _lipstick_!'

The boys hadn't exactly helped. Eddie had still been trying to find a way of becoming older so as to enter the Tournament, a feat which, as Daisy reminded him, would be impossible due to Dumbledore's Age Line.

He insisted he would be able to do it, but as Daisy pointed out,

'Sweety, you have trouble fooling Trelawney with your homework excuses...' She explained gently. 'And she's not exactly the sharpest crayon in the box. You _really_ think you're going to fool Dumbledore?'

'There's got to be a way.' He said stubbornly. 'And I'm going to find it!'

And Jacob...Well Jacob hadn't exactly had the best evening either. He'd managed to sit himself quite close to one of the pretty French girls and, well...

'She's a bloody Veela!' Kia had shrieked thumping him over the head. 'You're breaking up with me over a _Veela _who probably doesn't even know you're alive!'

'But she's so beautiful...' Jacob had said dreamily. '_Ow_!'

Yep...It definitely hadn't been a good night for most people.

Amy was just glad to have the night over with and go to bed. She hadn't even sat up reading till late, afraid that if she did, Bethany would never shut up.

Today was Saturday, Hallowe'en, the day for people to put their names into the Goblet of Fire. The famed object itself was resting on the Sorting Hat's stool in the centre of the Entrance Hall, inside a thin, gold, perfectly-drawn circle Amy recognized as an Age Line. Around it, about twenty students were wandering around nibbling on toast and chatting with their friends.

As usual, Amy had been one of the first up and had seen the Durmstrang students put all their names in one by one. So far, though, no-one from either Hogwarts or Beauxbatons had attempted it.

'Come on - I'll go first.'

At these words, Amy lifted her eyes up from her book and observed as one of the Weasley twins approached the thin gold line.

Behind him, Amy could see his identical twin; a dark-skinned boy she recognized as Lee Jordan, the Hogwarts Quidditch commentator; Harry Potter; the clever bushy-haired girl, Granger, and another, younger-looking red-haired boy; all looking on apprehensively as the first boy stood on the edge of the line and rocked backwards and forwards nervously. She could feel the whole Hall holding their breath.

Finally he stepped over the line...

And nothing happened.

His twin brother (Amy could never tell which one of them was which) shouted triumphantly and jumped in after him.

The next second, they were both hurled out of the circle by an invisible force.

They landed a couple of feet away from Amy so she was able to see the shocked expressions on both their faces. Even better were the looks on their faces when there was a sudden pop and they both sprouted long fluffy white beards.

Amy started laughing. It was the first time she had laughed properly since her mothers death. And it felt _good_. Strange and unusual, but good.

In that second, her eyes caught one of the Weasley boys' eyes. It was the second one, the one who had jumped in after his brother. He grinned at her and she smiled back at him.

'I did warn you,' Dumbledore said with a smile, coming out of the Great Hall. 'You'd better-'

'I think I might give sticking my name in a miss...' Amy heard Eddie say weakly, as he watched the twins sprint up the stair-case.

* * *

"_Her eyes opened in spite of herself. And then she actually smiled – for what she saw she had never seen in the attic before, and she knew she never should see._

_'Oh, I **haven't** awakened,' she whispered, daring to rise on her elbow and look all about her. 'I am dreaming yet.' She knew it **must** be dream for if she were awake-"_

'Oi Cassidy!'

Amy jumped. She'd been so caught up in Sara Crewe's magical room that she had forgotten where she was.

She felt a sudden irritation flood through her and realised she now knew how the heroine of her book felt when she was interrupted from her story. She felt like cursing whoever it was that had interrupted her, into oblivion, but controlled herself.

'What do you want?' she growled, turning towards whoever it was who had interrupted her.

'Oh.' Her eyes narrowed. 'It's you.'

Cursing was starting to seem more of a possibility.

'Now that's not very nice, Cassidy, is it?' Montague said sweetly.

'I'm sure you'll get over it.' Amy turned back to her book.

'Oh I'm not sure I will, Cassidy.' Montague dropped the sickly sweet tone. 'In fact, I think it's time I taught you some manners...'

Amy sighed.

'This is getting boring Montague.'

'I'm not bored.' he smirked again.

'Yeah, well you're not the one who's missing out on a good book.' Amy pointed out. 'I'd be surprised if you even knew what that was actually...'

'Is that a _Muggle_ book Cassidy?' Montague's smirk changed to a look of disgust.

'Don't worry.' Amy reassured him. 'You're not at a high enough reading level to understand it yet.'

Montague scowled.

'_Tarantallegra_!'

Amy felt her legs begin to jig energetically.

'_Oof_!' she fell over. Amy's legs weren't the easiest to control at the best of times, and she'd never been very good at dancing.

'Lets see you read that Muggle crap now Cassidy!' Montague jeered.

'_Finite_ _Incantatem_!' Amy frowned as she stood up on her shaking legs. 'That all you got?'

Montague scowled even harder as he raised his wand. Amy was ready for him this time though.

'_Furnuncu_-'

'_Petrificus_ _Totalus_!' Amy shouted. Montague dropped to the floor in a full body-bind and Amy smirked..

'_Albastru Tergum!_'

Amy grinned as she levitated Montague, simultaneously lifting the body-bind, and dumped him in the lake near a group of second-year Gryffindors.

'Happy Ravenclaw Day Montague.' Amy mockingly saluted him across the lake as the Gryffindors started laughing at the Slytherin boy's blue skin.

She never noticed the tall red-head boy watching her with a grin.

* * *

'So, er... Amy.' The dark haired boy blushed. 'I was wondering if you wanted to go to the Yule Ball with me?' His pink cheeks turned scarlet. 

'I'm really sorry Steve...' Amy said gently, 'I'm not going to be here for the ball. I'm going home for Christmas.' she explained.

'Oh.' he said surprised. 'Oh well, in that case. Have a good Christmas.'

She forced a smile and carried on walking.

Amy sighed. Steve was the third person to ask her to the dance. She wished they wouldn't. She felt sad she had to say no, but it wasn't an excuse. She really _was_ going home for Christmas.

It was the first Christmas after the death of her mother, and she and her dad were going to be spending it in France with her dads brother, his wife and their two children.

She was a bit sorry she couldn't stay though. She knew she was only one of about four upper-school students who were going home. Everyone else was staying for, what was promising to be, the party of the year. Amy had even heard rumours that The Weird Sisters were going to be playing.

Cedric and Harry, in fact, _all_ the champions had donde really well in the first task. She had gone to watch it and it had been a tense few hours watching them all battle their way through their dragons. It hadn't been helped by the gasps, screams and tears emmanating from her friends. Bethany especially.

'Ohmygosh!' she had shrieked. 'Viktor! Is he OK?'

Amy shook her head. She couldn't understand Bethany's obsession with Krum. He wasn't even that handsome. And she was starting to get _very_ boring.

'I _love_ how he walks! You know, with that sort of bad boy slouch?'

'His nose is so cute!'

'Look! Did you see! He went into the library! That means he likes reading! Amy can you lend me something?'

Amy made a decision.

She turned and started walking quickly in the opposite direction. She wouldn't go down to dinner. She wasn't that hungry anyway, and she couldn't stand to spend half an hour with Bethany nattering non-stop about her hero.

She'd go and curl up on her bed with the hangings drawn and read her book. She was on Shakespeare's _Macbeth_ now, and Amy wanted to find out what was going to happen once Macbeth killed the King...

* * *

'So.' He dealt the cards. 'I'm going with Angelina, Lee's going with Katie, Alicia's going with some Ravenclaw seventh year. Even ickle Ronniekins is going with some girl from Ravenclaw. So who are you going to go with?' Fred asked. 

'SNAP!' George said. He watched as Fred collected the cards and sighed. 'I don't know yet, I'll find someone though don't worry.'

'I'm sure you- SNAP! -will.' Fred continued. 'I mean look at us. Gorgeous, funny, great company. Who wouldn't have us!'

George laughed with his twin. Later in bed, he thought about it. He didn't really have anyone he especially wanted to ask. He got on well with a lot of girls, but he didn't have anyone _special_. He probably would have asked Alicia but the Ravenclaw guy had beaten him to it. He wouldn't have dared ask Katie. Lee would have bitten his head off. And Fred had asked Angelina that same evening... So he was the only one left.

As his thoughts drifted, he found himself thinking of the pretty dark-haired girl who had smiled at him on the day of the what he and his brother now called "The Hairy Incident". He rubbed his singed eyebrows and yawned. Maybe he'd ask her if he saw her tomorrow...

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE:** woohoo I have REVIEWERS!! 

_Moonlight's Serenity:_ I've always used these quotation marks... Can I have some feedback people? Does anyone else think that they're confusing? If it's a majority I'll try and change it. Thanks!

_classically emily_: As you can see the Harry potter characters are starting to come through. But for the first two or three chapters I'm mainly focusing on Amy. After that things will start to get more interesting (I hope!)

Thanks guys!

**AUTHORS NOTE (revised):** Thanks classically emily for pointing out my blooper about Oliver Wood! I really should check my facts out a bit more...That's twice I've been caught out!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing that isn't mine

**_REVIEW!!!!_**


	3. Ch3: Do You Normally Kidnap People?

**Chapter 3: Do You Normally Kidnap People?**

'Amy!' Bethany waved her arms frantically to get her friends attention. '_Amy_! Over here!'

Amy turned round and slowly pulled her trunk over to the bottom of the stairs where Bethany promptly threw her arms around her.

'How was your Christmas?' Without waiting for an answer Bethany carried on talking enthusiastically. 'The Yule Ball was fabulous! Rupert looked _so_ handsome and when he saw me he gave me a red rose! The food was great and then we danced all night! It was just so much fun! It's such a shame you missed it! Did you get my owl?'

Amy opened her mouth to reply but Bethany didn't give her a chance.

'Can you believe that Granger girl went to the Ball with Viktor? I just don't understand what he sees in her. Sure she looked pretty that night but she just seems so boring and her hair is always frizzy! Oh, thanks for your present by the way! That poster of Viktor is just fantastic! He looks so good in it… So how was your Christmas?'

Bethany grinned at Amy expecting a just as enthusiastic response, but all her friend did was look at her.

'Oh Merlin's pants Amy!' Bethany's hand flew up to her mouth and her eyes widened as she realized her faux pas. 'I'm so sorry! I forgot!'

'Lucky you.' Amy muttered.

There was a pause.

'So how was it?' Bethany asked softly.

'Terrible.' Amy said shortly.

She pointed her wand at her trunk and levitated it before turning to go up the marble staircase.

'See you at dinner.'

* * *

It was a week after the start of the spring term and Amy was in the library, doing her homework. Bethany had apologized for her memory lapse, and she in turn had apologized for being so rude, but things were still a bit tense between them, so Amy had taken to finishing all her work in the silent and solitary library. 

She was also now back on at least one book a day, and two if she didn't have much homework.

'No such luck today though…' Amy thought glumly.

She finished writing, dropped her quill onto the desk and stretched, yawning. She then sighed and quickly re-read what she had written. She was still a few inches short.

Wearily she picked up her quill and started doodling idly on a piece of spare parchment, trying to think of what to write.

As she drew, her mind started to wander, and, slowly, it drifted back to Christmas.

Everyone says that the first Christmas after a death is the first one. Amy had decided after one day at home that whoever had come up with that was not wrong.

In the past, Amy had arrived home from school to find her mother cooking some form of Christmas pastries and sweets. Sweet mince pies, succulent turkey, crispy roast potatoes and rich Christmas cake had been Amy's favourite food.

This year, though, she and her father had taken a Portkey (authorised of course) to the South of France and spent Christmas with her dad's family: her uncle Morathy, her aunt Sylvie, her thirteen year-old cousin Edward and his seven year-old brother David.

Amy had had to endure watching her aunt cook exactly the same things as her mother and the pain of realizing that she'd never again taste her mother's Christmas cooking had sent her scurrying straight back to her books.

On the day itself, Amy's pain had increased watching how her aunt opened her sons' Christmas present and then attacked them with hugs and kisses, something Edward had desperately tried to escape, being at the age where kisses (especially from parents) are uncool.

Amy's eyes had filled up with tears watching this intimate scene. She had found herself wishing with all her heart that she could have one more moment like that one with her own mother, and had had to excuse herself when she realized the was seconds from bursting into tears.

Her father had been upset by this scene as well, though not as much as Amy.

'His senses were probably blurred by alcohol by that point…' Amy thought bitterly.

He had sent an owl, just hours before they were to leave for France, saying that he was going to be tied up at work for a few more days and he would join them a few days later. He had finally turned up on Christmas Eve, but had left on Boxing Day, claiming work duties. Amy wasn't sure how much work he was going to be able to do though, considering the amount of Firewhisky he had drunk the day before.

His behaviour had upset her, though she hadn't let him realize this. She was suffering as much pain as he was, and she had had to endure the main brunt of it alone.

She would have infinitely have preferred spending Christmas at Hogwarts, at least there the Yule Ball would have kept her mind entertained and occupied. But after telling her that Christmas was family time and basically _ordering_ her home for the holidays, Amy thought he could at least have shared the pain of seeing her aunt take on the role her mother had always played at Christmas. He could at least have shown some form of affection for his daughter. But as Amy had observed in the summer, he was doing his best to pretend that she didn't exist.

'What are you doing Mr Weasley?'

Amy jumped out of her thoughts and re-joined the present. Looking up, she saw the librarian, Madam Pince, standing over someone who was bent almost double apparently looking for something.

The person straightened up and Amy realized it was one of the Weasley twins. As always, which one it was, was a mystery.

'Looking for a book Madam Pince.' Twin X said innocently.

'And since when are you interested in _Muggle_ illnesses Mr Weasley?' Madam Pince may have had her back to Amy but she could just _tell_ her eyebrows were as narrowed as the tone of her voice.

'I'm doing an essay on Muggle illnesses Madam Pince.' Twin X said. He caught Amy's eye and winked.

She thought he sounded innocent enough, but years of trouble-making students had obviously sharpened her hearing.

'_Out_ Mr Weasley.' She pointed to the door firmly. 'I will not have you using my books for whatever it is you are planning!'

'But Madam Pince-'

'_Out_!'

Amy snorted at the sight of Twin X running from the library chased by a couple of quills and an ink-bottle.

Shaking her head, she turned back to her essay.

…

…

…

…

…

It was no good, she decided a few minutes later. She just couldn't concentrate.

She slammed her books shut and, after a glare from Madam Pince, proceeded to stuff them into her bag, along with her quill and ink.

She quickly slipped out her copy of _Peter Pan_ from the side pocket and decided to go and read by the lake for a bit. She still had to do her Ancient Runes translation and write a Potions essay, not to mention finish her Transfiguration one, but right now all she felt in the mood to do was read about Peter, Wendy and the Lost Boys.

Homework could wait.

* * *

Amy had barely shut the door of the library when she felt someone grab her elbow and steer behind a tapestry. 

'Hey! Let go of me!' Amy snatched her arm back and turned to her attacker. It was Twin X.

'What do you want?' She said shortly, readjusting the bag on her shoulder.

'I need a favour.' He replied just as shortly.

'And is this normally how you ask for favours from people?' Amy said sarcastically. 'By kidnapping them?'

'Actually this is a tactic I've never tried before.' He grinned suddenly. 'Feedback on how it's working would be useful.'

Amy sighed.

'What sort of favour?'

'That book I was trying to reach in the library…'

'Yes…' Amy said suspiciously.

'I really need it.'

A pause.

That seemed to be it.

'And…' Amy didn't understand.

'_And_ Madam Pince just kicked me out.'

'So you want me to get it for you.' Amy suddenly understood.

'Yes please.' He was looking at her hopefully.

'Any particular reason why you're asking a complete stranger instead of your brother or a friend?'

'Look, I'm in a hurry. If you don't want to do it could you just tell me?'

'What would you do if I said no?' Amy asked interestedly.

'My next option is dropping a dung bomb in the doorway.' He said in a matter of fact way. 'So yes or no?'

Amy sighed again.

'Why not?'

'You'll do it?' He asked relieved.

'Which one is it?' She asked, moving her bag on to her other shoulder.

'_Muggle Afflictions and Remedies_'

'Give me five minutes.'

* * *

'There you go.' Amy handed him the heavy book. 

'Excellent.' He examined it and grinned. 'Thanks.'

'No problem.' Amy said vaguely. She was calculating how much time she could conceivably dedicate to _Peter Pan_ before returning to her essays.

'Listen', Twin X dropped the book into his bag. 'what's your name?'

'What?' Amy shook her head. 'Oh, sorry. Er…Amy Cassidy.'

'I owe you one, big time.'

Amy shrugged.

'It's no problem.' She repeated. She turned and walked away. Suddenly a thought struck her and she turned round.

'Hey what's your-' She stopped. Twin X had vanished. '-name…'

* * *

'Daisy…' Amy looked up from her half-finished Potions essay. 

'Hang on.' Daisy frowned.

Amy waited.

Her friend smiled suddenly, wrote a word onto her parchment and added a full stop. Then she looked up.

'What's up?'

'What do you know about the Weasley twins?' Amy asked, twirling her quill absentmindedly.

Daisy thought for a minute.

'Gryffindor, red hair, big family and troublemakers.' She said finally.

'Hmm…'

'Why?' she asked curiously, looking at her friend. Amy had been acting strange with all of her friends for the past week, not just Bethany. Today was the first day she had started a conversation with Daisy of her own accord.

Amy hesitated and then recounted the episode with Twin X that afternoon.

'Any idea what the book was for?' Daisy asked with a frown.

Amy shook her head.

'Strange…' Said Daisy thoughtfully.

'He did say it was for a Muggle Studies essay,' Amy remembered suddenly. 'But I'm not sure if that's true or not. Probably isn't.'

Daisy's eyes turned to the parchment, books and quills littered around her.

'Talking of essays, we should probably finish this one.' She said pointing to the half-finished Potions essay in front of her.

Amy was staring out the window and didn't hear her.

'Amy?'

She started.

'Yeah.' She nodded, her brain registering what Daisy had said. 'Yeah. When do we add the armadillo bile again?'

The girls worked for a bit longer and then went up to bed. As Amy pulled the sheets up over her, she realized she felt better from her talk with Daisy.

She had always been the nice one of the group. She was tactful, (not like Bethany who's favourite hobby was sticking her foot in her mouth), sensible (not like Kia who enjoyed nothing more than an illicit stroll down the corridors after curfew) and quiet (not like Amy herself, who, before her mother's death had been known to talk a bit too much).

Amy smiled. Daisy may not have intended to make her feel better, she might not even know she'd done it. But in her own tactful, sensible and quiet way, she had managed it.

'Hey, Daisy?'

'Yeah?' Came the whispered reply.

A pause.

'Thanks.'

Daisy smiled into the darkness.

'Anytime Amy.'

* * *

'Oi Cassidy!' 

Amy whirled round. It was Monday afternoon, three days after her encounter with Twin X, and Amy was on her way to the Ravenclaw common room to dump her bag before dinner.

She caught a sudden glimpse of flaming red hair heading towards and sighed, but waited.

Finally, he caught up with her.

'Hey.' He grinned.

'Hi.' Amy replied. 'What?'

He looked startled.

'Blimey, to the point aren't you?' He commented.

'I'm in a hurry.' She said pointedly.

'I'll be quick then,' he grinned. Amy noticed that he had very nice teeth. They made his smile very…_mischievous_ somehow, though Amy couldn't understand how.

'First of all: thanks for getting the book. I thought you might want it back seeing as you checked it out in your name.'

Amy piled it on top of the Charms book she was already carrying and waited.

'Secondly: I felt a bit guilty, kidnapping you and then basically forcing you to get that book for me-'

'You didn't force me to do anything.' Amy interrupted with a frown.

'I threatened your precious books with death by dung bomb. Same difference.'

He took her silence for consent and grinned again.

'So I thought it would be nice of me to give you a compensation.' He pushed a paper bag into her already laden arms.

She peered in suspiciously.

'What is it?'

'Ton-Tongue toffees and Canary Creams.'

'OK…' Amy said slowly. 'And they are?'

He grinned.

_Again_.

Amy was starting to get irritated by his shiny white teeth.

'Joke sweets. Try 'em out on your friends and if anyone asks, just say you got them from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

'Er…thanks.' Amy tried to give him back the sweets. 'But all I did was check out a book for you.'

He pushed them back onto her books and looked at her sheepishly.

'I know I didn't have to. But um, well…There's something else.'

'What now?' Amy sighed.

'Well- it's just- OK. We're going to need a few more books from the library.'

'And you want me to get them for you.' Amy guessed shrewdly.

'Er…yeah.'

Amy frowned

'You don't seem in a hurry this time.' She said. 'Why not ask one of your friends to do it?'

'Well my brother and I are obviously not welcome-'

'Obviously.'

'-and our mate Lee Jordan isn't exactly in Madam Pince's good books since he accidentally let his tarantula out in there.'

'Yes, I can see how that would cause a bit of friction.'

'We did think maybe Angelina, Alicia or Katie…But they're a bit annoyed with us at the moment.'

'What'd you do?' Amy asked interestedly.

'Doesn't matter,' Twin X waved it off. 'Point is I doubt they're going to want to cooperate.'

Amy jiggled the books in her arms.

'And you think I would?'

'Hopefully.' He grinned again. Amy was starting to think it was a permanent fixture.

She thought about it.

'All right.' She sighed.

'You'll help us?' He grinned delightedly.

Amy shrugged.

'I have nothing else to do with my life at the moment.'

'Excellent!'

Suddenly a thought struck Amy.

'You'll have to tell me your name.'

He looked surprised.

'Why?'

'Because I like knowing who it is I'm doing favours for.' She retorted.

'Oh.' He still looked surprised. 'Fred Weasley.'

Amy nodded.

'So what do I have to do?'

'Nothing for the moment.' He said. 'I'll send you an owl or something once George and I have figured out what we need.'

'OK.' Amy said. She jiggled her books around again. They were starting to get uncomfortably heavy and the bag of sweets wasn't helping.

'Can I go now?'

'Oh. Yes.' He moved out of the way. 'Sorry.'

'Bye.' Amy said.

She turned her back on him and walked away, leaving him grinning and shaking his head.

Once she reached the empty dormitory, she dumped her bag, books and the heavy paper bag on to her bed and sighed, stretching her arms.

Everyone else had already gone down to dinner, so no one heard Amy sigh out loud.

'What have I let myself into?'

* * *

Bethany was smiling. 

Daisy was beaming.

Kiandra was grinning.

Even Jacob and Eddie smiled once they realized.

It was the weekend after Amy's second encounter with Fred Weasley and most of the school had descended the wet and slippery path to the village of Hogsmeade.

There were students walking through the village, students piling into the Three Broomsticks for warm Butterbeers, hand-holding teenage couples heading for Madam Puddifoots Teashop, a huge gaggle of students could be seen crowding Zonko's Jokeshop, there were even a few brave students heading over to the Shrieking Shack for a look at the infamous haunted house.

But they didn't notice this.

All they had noticed was that this was the first Hogsmeade trip Amy had joined them on.

Amy had spent the days of Hogsmeade visits locked in the library reading, so when Bethany spotted her coming down the marble staircase and heading towards them, she had automatically presumed that she had just come to see them off.

It wasn't until Daisy noticed that she was wearing her cape, scarf and wooly hat that they realized she was planning on joining them.

'You don't mind do you?' she had asked a bit hesitantly.

'Of course not!' Bethany exclaimed.

'We're just glad to see you finally co-' Kia stopped abruptly after a glare from Daisy.

'I'm glad you're coming with us Amy.' Jacob grinned.

'Me too Amy!' Eddie punched her shoulder with a grin.

Amy had smiled at them all silently.

And now here they were.

Amy glanced around interestedly. It had been almost six months since she'd been here last, but nothing seemed to have changed much. The most notable difference was the absence of Dementors. Amy shivered involuntarily, remembering the cold empty feeling they had given her.

'Shall we go get a Butterbeer?' Kia suggested, shivering.

'Yes please!' Bethany nodded fervently.

They started making their way through the crowd towards the busy pub. On the way, Amy spotted her classmate Cho holding hands with the Hufflepuff champion, Cedric Diggory. She smiled and waved at them, and Cho beamed back at her. Then she saw a few people she knew from Hufflepuff house and after greeting them, Amy found she was having fun.

Her friends were all being very nice to her: though making sure not to mention her prolonged absence from the village, they included her in all their conversations, brining her up to date with all the gossip. Amy was grateful. She knew she hadn't been a great friend to any of them over the past few months but she was glad they still liked her anyway and didn't think too badly of her.

The Three Broomsticks was, predictably, very busy. While Kia and the boys went off in search of a table and Bethany went to the ladies, Amy and Daisy offered to go and get the drinks.

As they waited for Madam Rosmerta to take their order, Daisy smiled at Amy and took her hand.

'I'm glad you came Amy.'

Amy smiled back and squeezed her friends' hand.

'So am I.'

'Haven't seen you in here for a long time, Cassidy.' Madam Rosmerta commented, wiping her hands on a tea towel.

'I've been away.' Amy smiled at Daisy. 'I'm back now, though.

Glad to hear it.' Madam Rosmerta smiled. 'What'll it be girls?'

While Daisy ordered their drinks, Amy observed her surroundings. The pub hadn't changed much at all. The matching wooden floors and paneled walls gave the large room a warm, cosy feeling, helped by the big log fire in the corner. It was crammed full of tables, chairs, stools and barrels, all of which were occupied by a large amount of varying customers. Though today it seemed to be full of Hogwarts students, Amy could still see a couple of aged wizards sitting in a corner silently drinking Firewhisky, what looked like a bandaged hag sitting at the bar and even a group of goblins who seemed to be talking seriously to a harassed looking blonde wizard Amy recognized as Ludo Bagman.

'Come on Amy.' Daisy handed her three tankards full to the brim with Butterbeer. As they made their way slowly over to their table, greeting several people on the way, Amy spotted the bushy-haired Granger girl sitting in a corner with what looked like Fred Weasley's younger brother and, remembering that they were Harry Potter's best friends, wondered vaguely where he was.

'Here you are, you lot.' Daisy said, handing Kia and Jacob their drinks and sitting down next to Bethany with her own.

Amy quickly handed Bethany and Eddie theirs and sat down with her back to the wall, so as to be able to see the people in the pub.

'So what do you think the second task is going to be like?' Kia asked taking a sip of her drink.

'I don't know.' Jacob said thoughtfully. 'I heard it had something to do with whatever's in that egg they all got.'

'The gold one?' Amy asked interestedly.

'I heard they might have to battle giants or something!' Eddie said enthusiastically.

'Er…I don't think so.' Daisy laughed. 'Giants live in the mountains, in the north. Remember?'

'Yeah, well Chinese Fireballs, Hungarian Horntails and- what was that one Diggory took on?' Eddie asked.

'Swedish Short-Snout.' Kia said.

'That's it.' Eddie said with a nod. 'Well they're not exactly from around here are they?'

'Good point.' Jacob commented.

'Still, I think giants would be a bit _too_ dangerous for the Triwiz-'

'More dangerous than real, live, fully-grown, fire-breathing dragons?' Kia raised her eyebrows.

Bethany opened her mouth to reply, but shut it again.

'I suppose that would be a bit hard.' She conceded finally.

'I heard a Hufflepuff girl going on hidden treasure.' Amy remembered suddenly. 'That could be it couldn't it?'

'Could be.' Daisy said thoughtfully. 'That would make sense. A map could be what's in those eggs.'

'Where could they have a treasure hunt in Hogwarts though?' Kia pointed out.

'I still say its giants.' Eddie said defiantly.

'Eddie we just exp-'

'Who cares if he's half-giant?'

Amy craned her neck to see who was yelling. A few people moved and she realized it was Potter, he'd appeared and seemed to be yelling at a blonde lady dressed in yellow ('Not her colour is it?' Bethany smirked). There was silence from the watching crowd as Potter continued shouting at the woman. Then, suddenly, Granger joined in.

'You horrible woman.' She said angrily. 'You don't care, do you, anything for a story, and anyone will do, won't they? Even Ludo Bagman-'

Amy turned her head, confused, to where she'd last seen Bagman. He wasn't there. The goblins had gone as well.

As she turned back to where Granger was still glaring at the blonde lady, she suddenly spotted two flashes of red hair. Realising it was the Weasley twins, Amy tried to catch one of their eyes, but they both seemed to be staring hard at Potter and his friends as they left the pub.

There was silence for a bit, but then slowly the pub filled up with voices and conversation again.

'What was that about?' Eddie asked bemused.

'Didn't you read the Daily Prophet today?' Kiandra asked quietly.

'I just looked at the front page.' Daisy said.

'I only checked the Quidditch scores.' Jacob added.

'Why?' Amy asked curiously.

'There was an article in there written by a Ms Rita Skeeter, who I'm guessing is banana lady.'

'About Potter?' Eddie asked interestedly.

'Or Granger?' Bethany asked hopefully. 'Maybe she's dumped Viktor…'

Kia shook her head and Daisy rolled her eyes.

'About Hagrid. Apparently he's half-giant.'

There was silence.

'Half-giant?' Bethany squeaked.

'His mum was one apparently.' Kia said, nodding.

'I always thought maybe he'd been hit by an engorgement charm or something…'

'Nah,' Amy shook her head. 'I thought it was pretty obvious he had _some_ sort of giant blood in him I mean-'

'But- but…' Bethany interrupted with a stutter. 'How can he be a _teacher_ if he's half-giant? How can Dumble-'

'Bethany, he's half giant. Not half Death Eater.' Amy said sharply.

'Yeah, but still-'

'I've heard about Rita Skeeter from my dad.' Amy said with a scowl. 'She's a half-rate journalist for the Daily Prophet who gets her kicks by digging out horrible stories, exaggerating the facts, and destroying people's reputation. Granger's right. She _would_ do anything for a story.'

'Yeah,' Daisy added. 'don't you remember that article she did after the Goblet incident? Where she made out Harry Potter was the only Hogwarts champion and basically made it into an in-depth interview on his life?'

'I remember that.' Jacob nodded.

'Trust me, if Rita Skeeter says Hagrid is half-giant, he probably is. But then he's also as dangerous as a fluffy cushion, so does it matter?' Amy asked, directing her question at Bethany.

Bethany didn't look convinced.

* * *

_Amy,_

_Could you please get us __"Advanced Herbology and Healing"__ from the _

_library and meet me next to the tapestry of _

_Ugbert the Ugly on the fourth floor at six o'clock?_

_FW _

* * *

It was now twenty minutes past six and Amy was getting irritated. She hadn't got much homework that day and had been hoping to spend an hour by the lake, reading. She had about seventy pages left to finish The Diary of Anne Frank and wanted to finish it already. Since she had started socializing a bit more, she had found herself with barely any time to read and had set aside this hour on purpose, so as to be able to finish it. But unless Weasley hurried up and got here soon she was going to have to give it a miss, and that was not going to make her very happy. 

It was the last week of January and Amy had been checking out books for the Weasley's for almost two weeks. Every three or four days she'd get an owl from Weasley, telling her the title of the book she was to get, and where and when to meet him. Then she would give him the new book and he would hand back the other one. She would go to the library and give back the old book, and then the cycle would begin again. Every now and again Weasley gave her a bag of trick sweets as payment, he called it. But Amy just chucked them into her trunk and left them there. She had no intention of using the products on her friends when she had no idea what they would happen to them.

'Amy!'

Amy crossed her arms as she saw Weasley running towards her, out of breath. She looked at her watch pointedly.

'Finally.'

'Yeah, yeah, sorry.' Fred said, bending over to catch his breath. 'George and Lee and me were brainstorming.'

He straightened up and grinned at Amy. She, in turn, found herself grinding her own teeth in irritation.

'Here's the book.' She said, throwing it into his unsuspecting arms. He, startled, nearly dropped it but managed to hold on to it.

'Quidditch reflexes.' He grinned at her _again_ and Amy felt her patience end.

'Could we please just get on with this?' She snapped. 'I have better things to do than wait around for you to remember that _I'm_ doing _you_ a favour.'

'Sorry.' He said, taken aback. 'I just didn't realize the time and-'

'Well if you want me to keep doing this for you and your friends I suggest you try and remember when your order me to meet you somewhere OK?'

'OK, OK, I'm sorry.' He still looked taken-aback. 'I didn't realize it was such a big deal.'

'Yeah, well you wouldn't.' She retorted.

He silently handed over _Basic Healing_ and looked at her strangely.

'Are you OK?'

'I'm fine.' She answered shortly. 'I just don't like people using up my reading time. See you later.'

She turned and left, leaving him looking after her bemusedly.

* * *

"…_Last night when I came down from the attic, I noticed, the moment I entered the room, that the lovely vase of carnations had fallen over. Mother was down on her hands and knees mopping up water and Margot was fishing my papers from off the floor. 'What happened?' I asked with anxious foreboding, and before they could reply, I assessed the damage from across the room. My entire genealogy folder my exer-…"_

'There you are. We were looking for you Cassidy.'

'What is it with people today?' Amy thought irritably, closing her eyes. Why couldn't they just let her read in peace?

She looked up and groaned. This was all she needed: Montague and his cronies harassing her.

'I'm really not in the mood for this Montague.'

'Yeah?' He smirked. 'Well we are.'

Amy glanced over the other Slytherins with him. Three boys with big heads, big parents and a bit of a big BO problem, Amy thought as she scrunched up her nose in disgust. What did they sleep in? Pig manure?

She turned away from them and faced Montague again.

'Remember what happened last time Montague?' she said with a sweet smile.

He turned slightly pale at this but the smirk didn't fade. Amy realized why.

'Oh.' She laughed. 'Now I understand. That's why you've brought friends this time right? Very brave.'

'Shut it Cassidy.' He growled.

'Look Montague. All I want to do right now is read my book. Now I know that might be a hard concept for you to understand, so I'll make it a bit clearer.' Amy lowered her eyes back to her book. 'Go away.'

'I don't think so Cassidy.' Amy could tell by his voice that he was smirking. Merlin, didn't he realize that reading was hard when people were talking to you?

'Me and my friends have decided that we really cannot allow you to read that Muggle trash. So…' Amy suddenly felt the book yanked from her hands. She jumped up outraged, just in time to see Montague dump her levitated book in the lake.

She narrowed her eyes.

Right.

'_Verto Sus_!'

Amy grinned satisfied.

'You know.' She commented thoughtfully. 'I'm really not that good at Transfiguration. But I think that went quite well.'

She frowned.

'I think we need a little extra touch though…' She grinned. '_Albastru Tergum_!'

She smiled, satisfied.

'Yes, I think that's better.'

She looked at her watch and realizing it was time for dinner, collected her bag from where she'd left it, under the tree. She then trudged slowly up the bank to where a path led to the front doors. Once she'd reached them, she turned back to where a group of four blue pigs were running around.

'Have fun boys!'

She grinned and entered the building, leaving the Slytherin pigs (literally) to run around and try and get help.

* * *

_Amy,_

_I am really sorry for being late the other day. George and Lee say sorry too for letting me forget. Are you still OK with getting the books? Because I'll understand if you don't._

_FW_

* * *

_Fred,_

_Tell George and Lee I forgive them. You too. Sorry I blew up at you. Yes I'm still OK with getting the books. Awaiting orders._

_AC_

* * *

_Amy,_

_Glad to hear you're OK again. Could you possibly please bring us __Recovering Remedies__ from the library and meet me by the statue of Merlin on the fifth floor? I'll be there at a quarter to eight._

* * *

_Fred,_

_See you there._

* * *

'So are you going to tell me what all these books on illnesses and remedies are for?' Amy asked as she handed over the book. 

He grinned as he stowed it away. Amy thought how strange it was that the week before his grin had annoyed the pants off her, and this week all she could think about was how shiny his teeth were and how…_mischievous_ his smile was. She was starting to like it actually.

'Maybe another day, once we've finished.'

'Finished _what_?'

He just grinned.

Merlin, she was _really_ starting to like his smile.

'I have to go.' He said suddenly. 'McGonagall wanted to talk to George and me at eight.'

'Ah.' She smiled. 'I wondered why it was quarter to eight and not just eight.'

'Yeah.' He grinned one last time before turning and heading down the corridor. 'Thanks again Amy!'

'Amy shook her head bemusedly.

His grin wasn't annoying her.

Weird.

Hanging out with Fred, even if it was just for those ten minutes of interchanging books and banter, was fun.

That was even weirder.

Amy hadn't found anything really _fun_ since before her mum had died.

Maybe it was time she tried out those joke sweets…

After all, they couldn't do anything that bad.

* * *

'Hi Amy!' 

'Hey!'

'Hey Amy.' Daisy smiled.

Amy smiled back. Praying her innocent look still worked after so much time in disuse, she sat down and waited.

'I'm hungry.' She announced after a few minutes.

'You just had dinner.' Jacob commented. He was sitting on one of the sofas with his arm around Kia and talking to Eddie.

'Like that's ever stopped you.' She retorted.

'She's got you there mate.' Eddie grinned. Jacob reached out with his other arm to cuff Eddie but he dodged it and moved chair, over to the other side of the fire.

Amy rolled her eyes.

'I'm still hungry.' She pointed out.

'Don't you have any sweets or anything left over from Honeydukes?' Daisy asked distractedly.

Amy pretended to think a minute.

'Actually I do!'

She jumped up and bounded up the staircase to collect one of the bag of sweets Fred had given her.

'Toffees!' She exclaimed enthusiastically, as she re-joined them. 'And I found some biscuits I had forgotten I brought with me from Christmas…Anyone want one?'

As expected, the boys jumped at the offer of free food.

'What is it with boys and food?' Amy thought, watching as Eddie unwrapped a toffee and Jacob bit into a biscuit. 'You stick anything edible in front of them and they eat it. _And_ they never get fat. I suppose there had to be some perks about being a boy…'

Just then, Jacob turned into a canary.

Amy observed her friends reactions interestedly. Kia shrieked. Bethany looked up and promptly dropped the book she was holding. Daisy looked up from her essay and gaped at the giant yellow bird in front of her. Other people in the common room were staring silently. Some were actually laughing.

And Eddie?

Well Eddie was having trouble reacting to Jacob the Canary due to the sudden purple sausage that seemed to be growing out of his mouth.

'Interesting effect.' Thought Amy with a grin as people began shouting when they noticed Eddie's state.

Jacob was starting to moult already. Bright yellow feathers were falling hard and fast on to the blue-carpeted floor. But Eddie didn't seem to be doing too good.

'_Reducio_.' Amy said, pointing her wand at Eddie's tongue.

There was silence for a minute as everyone just stood watching Eddie and Jacob with open mouths. Then, as one, Amy's friends all turned to her. They looked shocked.

'Amy-'

'You- You just-'

'Sorry guys.' Amy said sheepishly. 'I didn't know they were going to do that.'

'You just-' Jacob paused. 'You just turned me into a canary!'

'Yeah, and like I said I'm s-'

'And it was the sweets right?' Eddie asked. Amy glanced around her friends. Bethany, Daisy and Kia all seemed incapable of talking, and the boys couldn't seem to grasp anything.

'Er…yeah.' Amy said bemusedly. 'Canary Creams and Ton-Tongue Toffees. Weasley gave them to me.'

She glanced around her friends once more and her confusion grew. They were all staring at her as if she'd just announced she was a Death Eater.

'What is it?' she asked.

Silence.

'_What_?'

Finally, Daisy spoke.

'You- you just-' She said in a hushed voice. 'You just played a prank on us.'

The next thing Amy knew, she was being held in a huge bear-hug with five people she was starting to suspect were slightly insane.

'You people are weird…' she said with a laugh before hugging them back.

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE:** I'm baaaaack!! The weather was horrible in France so I took the time I had intended to spend surfing, writing. I'll have Chapter 4 soon! (I hope...S) 

Thanks to all my reviewers, and I APOLOGISE as much as I can. I don't know how much of my replies you might have understood so I'll just say that I was using a computer in an internet café and their keyboard was both French and weird. All the keys were in the wrong places. So of course my fingers were typing the wrong things. SORRY!!!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing that isn't mine

**_REVIEW!!!!_** (pretty please with sugar lumps?)


	4. Ch4: Parties Post and a Proposition

**Chapter 4: Parties, Post and a Proposition**

'Please.'

'No.'

'Please?'

'No.'

'Pretty please?'

'No!'

'Pretty please with Bertie Botts?'

'Bethany!'

'Please Amy!' Bethany pleaded.

'Why can't you do your own homework?' Amy asked irritably.

'But you're just so good at Potions!'

'Flattery won't get you anywhere Bethany Young!'

'But Amy-'

'No Bethany!'

'Its just bloody Snape didn't give us enough time so I haven't been able to finish it and-'

'We've had more than a week!'

'Yes well…'

'Yes but you were hanging out with Rupert and forgot to do your homework.' Amy said, crossing her arms.

'No! Well- maybe…OK. Fine. Yes.' Bethany fluttered her eyelashes at Amy. 'Please pretty please?'

Amy closed her eyes and gritted her teeth.

'If I lend you my essay will you please stop using that expression?'

'Yup.' Bethany smiled happily.

'In that case,' Amy stopped, opened her bag, rummaged around and drew out her essay. 'here.'

'Thank you, thank you, thank you!!' Bethany exclaimed, throwing her arms around her friend.

Amy rolled her eyes as she shut her bag and hoisted it back on to her shoulder. The girls started walking again. Classes were over for the day and they were heading back to the common room to dump their bags before dinner.

'So have you got any closer to finding out what the Weasleys are doing with all those books?' Bethany asked curiously.

Amy had told the rest of her friends about the book errands and the mysterious use for them. She had felt a twinge of guilt after telling them, but Fred had never said anything about keeping it a secret, she told herself, and, after all, she couldn't exactly spill the beans on what they were actually doing due to the fact that she had no idea herself.

Amy shook her head.

'Nope. I keep asking him and all he does is grin at me.'

Amy grimaced as she remembered. The grin that a fortnight ago she had begun to think was quite nice was once again beginning to annoy her intensely.

'Merlin's pants!' She quickly checked her watch. 'I've just remembered I was supposed to be meeting him before dinner to hand over this weeks' book! See you at dinner Beth!' Amy started running.

'Have fun!' Bethany called with a grin as she watched her friend disappear down the hallway.

* * *

'Sorry sorry sorry sorry _sorry_!' Amy yelled skidding to a halt beside Fred. 

'I thought _I_ was the one with the punctuality problem.' He grinned.

'You are.' Amy gasped, massaging her chest. Running had never really been her thing. 'Fre- friends fault.'

'My friend Bethany was bugging me about my Potions essay.' She explained once she had gotten her breath back.

'Why?' Fred asked interestedly.

'She's been hanging out with her boyfriend and "forgot" to finish it.' Amy said with a scowl.

'You mean she was actually trying to _do_ her Potions homework? Why would anyone do that?' Fred was bemused.

'_Anyone_ would do it so as to be able to pass her Potions OWL probably.' Amy retorted. 'And she wasn't trying to do _her_ homework. She was trying to copy mine.' She said ruefully.

'Are you good at Potions?' Fred asked.

'Sort of.' Amy said, uncomfortable under his sudden interested gaze. 'Don't look at me like that!'

'Like what?' Fred asked with a grin.

'Like I'm a sort of weird witch.'

'You are.' Fred said, still grinning.

Amy glared at him.

'You can talk Mister Mysterious Get-Me-This-Book-But-I'm-Not-Telling-You-Why Guy!'

'You're really that interested?' Fred asked. He looked amused at his new nickname.

'Yes.'

'Really?'

'Yes!'

'_Really_ really?'

'I _said_ yes!'

'Maybe soon.' Fred grinned. For the first time in a fortnight it didn't annoy her.

Amy brightened.

'That means yes.'

'That means maybe soon.'

'Yeah, but translated that means yes.'

Fred rolled his eyes.

'Can I have my book now please?'

* * *

'Hey George, catch!' 

Fred chucked _Healing_ _for_ _Healers_ at his brother -who caught it deftly- and lied down on his bed.

There were five Gryffindor sixth years: Fred, George, Lee, a pale dark-haired boy named Kenneth Towler and a thin mousy haired boy called Marcus Belby. Fred, George and Lee had found it easy to have the dormitory to themselves once Kenneth started dating (he spent all his time downstairs in the common room with his girlfriend Patricia Stimpson) and Marcus was made prefect (he was a bit like a miniature Percy and spent most of his time patrolling the corridors). As soon as the two of them left the room, the twins and Lee brought out their stuff and turned their dormitory into a makeshift laboratory, testing centre and research facility.

They were all hoping to find somewhere else soon, though. The stench some of their experiments left behind was unbearable sometimes.

'Nice one, bro.' George said, flicking through the pages of the book Fred had just given them. 'No problems?' He said, looking up.

Fred shook his head.

'Nope. Books changed hands no problem, and I found out that Cassidy's a Hermione at Potions.'

'Hmm…' George said thoughtfully, looking back down at the book in his hands. 'Interesting.'

He flicked through a couple more pages and then looked up again at his brother,

'Have you thought that she might be useful when it comes to making the Potions for these?' He asked, pointing at the piles of parchment on his bed.

'Yeah.' Fred said, sitting up. 'That's exactly what I was thinking actually.'

'Does she know what the books are for?' George asked.

Fred grinned, remembering the conversation he and Amy had had.

'No. She's very curious though.'

George was thinking.

'Well we've got nearly all the research we need to start making one of the types.' He rummaged through the notes on his bed until he found the one he was looking for. 'Yeah. I think we could try starting with the vomiting ones first.'

Fred grunted his approval.

'And I think that, if we check with someone over her Potions abilities, we could mention to our little friend what we're doing.' George looked at his brother sideways. 'She might be a great help. I'm not too sure about some of these methods.' He frowned at the pages in his hands.

'OK.'

Fred slid off his bed and stretched.

'I'm about ready for dinner. How 'bout you?'

George grinned.

'When have you ever known me not to be ready for dinner?'

* * *

'So Amy, Jacob and I were wondering,' Kia said conversationally, 'what you want for your birthday this year. Because we thought we might buy someth-' 

'You don't have to buy me anything.' Amy said quickly.

'Yeah, yeah.' Kia said impatiently. 'But a couple of ideas would be nice if-'

'Seriously Kia,' Amy frowned. 'I don't want anything.'

'But-'

'No presents, no cakes and _no_ parties.'

'But why-'

'I just don't want a fuss made out of it OK?' Amy said. Then she frowned again. 'And I mean it. _No_ parties.'

'Did someone say something about a party?' Eddie said, coming over.

'Yes.' Amy narrowed her eyes. 'I said I don't want one this year.'

'Not even one like last years?' Eddie said disappointedly.

'_Especially_ not one like last year's.' Amy grimaced.

The year before, on Amy's birthday, her friends had thrown her a small but intense surprise party at three in the morning. The six of them had spent the night eating, drinking and laughing. Amy still remembered the hell of a hangover she had got, as well as the pain of enduring a double Transfiguration lesson with McGonagall first thing the next morning. It had been enough to put her off Firewhisky for life.

'Shame.' Eddie said sadly. 'That was one hell of a party.'

'Hell being the operative word.' Kia winced. 'I can still remember the headache I had the day after.'

'I don't.' Eddie said smugly.

'That's because you were unconscious the day after.' Amy reminded him.

'Oh… Yeah.' His grin faded. 'I'd forgotten that.'

* * *

'Hey Amy!' Jacob drew along next to her and Bethany. 'Kia says you don't want anything for your birthday this year. That true?' 

'Yeah.' Amy nodded.

'But why?' He asked, bemused.

'I just don't want to make a fuss.' She shrugged.

Bethany was looking at her with a strange expression on her face.

'And Eddie said you don't want a party either.' Jacob continued.

'True.'

'What?' Bethany said, stopping in the hallway suddenly in shock. She turned to Amy. 'You don't want a party?'

'Nope.' Amy shook her head and carried on walking.

Bethany stared at her. The she turned to Jacob who shrugged and turned to go the other way. After a minute she shook her head and ran to catch her up.

'But why don't you want a par-'

'Look, Bethany.' Amy said, not looking at her friend. 'I'm just not in the mood this year OK?'

'But… are you sure?' Bethany looked at her strangely.

'Yes.' Amy narrowed her eyes at her friend as they reached the Charms classroom. 'And I mean it Beth. NO parties.'

Bethany looked at her friend carefully and then sighed, seeing the determination in Amy.

'All right, all right.' She sighed again. 'No parties.'

* * *

'We have to organise a party.' 

It was gone eleven o'clock and most Ravenclaws, including Amy, had gone to bed; but Bethany and the rest of her friends were still sitting by the fire, talking.

'A party?' Jacob frowned. 'But Amy said-'

'I know what she _said_, Jacob.' Bethany said impatiently. 'But I think we should still do one.'

'I'm not sure Beth.' Kia looked worried. 'She seemed pretty sure she didn't want one.'

'Yeah, but we all say we don't want things when we do really, don't we?'

'I don't think now is one of those times, though.' Jacob was still frowning.

'Oh come on guys!' Bethany said exasperated. 'Amy needs cheering up, and what better way than with a party?'

'I agree!' Eddie exclaimed.

Daisy glared at him.

'I think that if Amy says she doesn't want a party, we should respect her wishes.'

'I agree,' said Jacob.

'So that's two people who _want_ a party and two who don't,' Bethany said, she turned to the Hispanic-looking girl next to her. 'Kia?'

The others turned to her and fixed their eyes on hers.

'Oh that's not fair!' She protested, going red. 'You can't make me decide something like this on my own!'

'Come on Kia!' Bethany encouraged. 'Do you want to cheer Amy up or not?'

'Or better put,' Daisy interjected 'do you want to respect Amy's wishes or not?'

Bethany glared at her before turning back to Kia expectantly.

'I… I…' Kia looked from one pair to the other. She sighed and shut her eyes. 'I think we should do the party.'

'What!' Daisy jumped up.

'Bethany's right.' Kia said. 'I think it will cheer Amy up.'

Jacob sighed.

'Fine.'

'What!' Daisy turned to him.

'It was a fair voting, Daisy.' Jacob shrugged. 'Majority won.'

She narrowed her eyes at them.

'On your own head be it.'

* * *

'Amy! _Amy_! AMY!' 

Amy turned round and glanced round her to see who was calling her name. She smiled when she spotted her friends chestnut curls bounding towards her.

'Hi Daisy.'

'Hey.' Her friend said distractedly. 'Can we talk?'

'Sure.' Amy said bewildered. 'I was about to go for lunch-'

'I'd prefer it if we went outside.'

Amy frowned.

'What's wrong?'

The girls walked out of the main doors and sat down under a large sprawling beech tree, next to the lake. From where they were sitting Amy could see the Durmstrang ship floating calmly on the water. She shivered involuntarily as her eyes scanned it. It freaked her out. It was so black and bare and skeletal looking…it made her think that maybe the boat was dead.

She shook her head, trying to get these thoughts out of it and turned to her friend who looked worried.

'I just thought I should warn you.' Daisy said, fidgeting with a strand of hair.

'What's wrong?' Amy repeated, getting worried. 'Are the others OK?'

'No, no.' Daisy shook her head. 'It's nothing like that. Well- they do have something to do with it. But they're fine.'

Amy was very confused now.

'Daisy what is it?'

'Look, I just thought you should know that Beth and the others are planning a surprise party for you on your birthday.' Daisy looked down, still playing with a bit of her reddish brown hair.

'What!' Amy jumped up. 'But I told them-'

'I know Amy but-'

'They _knew_ I didn't want a party and still they-'

'Amy I know.' Daisy said. 'Look, I told them you'd said you didn't want one but they think you need cheering up so-'

'So they're planning a _party_ for me?' Amy was annoyed. She'd specifically told her friends that she didn't want a fuss made of her birthday. No cards, no presents, no special favours and NO parties! Why couldn't they just leave it at that?

'Right.' She narrowed her eyes as she picked up her bag from where she'd left it, propped up against the trunk of the beech.

'Amy,' Daisy said worried. 'What are you going to do?'

'Nothing.' She said.

'Nothing-nothing, or I'm-Not-Telling-You-Nothing?' Daisy asked cautiously.

'Nothing.' Amy repeated. 'What day did you say they're throwing this party for me?'

'Your birthday night.' Daisy was starting to look very anxious. 'You won't tell them I told you will you? They'll be mad at me.'

'Don't worry.' Amy smiled weakly as she turned away to go back into the castle. 'I won't tell them.'

Daisy smiled in relief.

'And thanks!' Amy called back.

* * *

'Happy birthday Amy!' Bethany said beaming. 

Amy controlled the urge not to yawn. She hadn't slept at all well the night before.

'Thanks Bethany.' She said in a low voice. She didn't want everyone to hear it was her birthday or she'd get non-stop congratulations all day.

'Here.' Bethany passed Amy a parcel wrapped in blue. The paper had little snitches on it.

Amy closed her eyes, opened them again and forced her face into a smile.

'Thanks Bethany.' She said.

Daisy noted the forced tone and smiled at her friend sympathetically. Amy smiled back weakly.

Taking a piece of toast from the rack, she started buttering it quickly. Just as she started to dollop pumpkin marmalade on to it, there was a screech followed by a hoot and suddenly a hundred owls flew through the windows, holding letters or packages.

Amy kept her eyes trained on her plate, determined not to look up.

A brown owl with black marks on it's back landed in front of Amy and hooted haughtily. Finally, she looked up.

'Hi Archy.' She said weakly.

The owl hooted sedately and held out his leg.

Amy started to untie the roll of parchment slowly. Archy quickly lost his patience and started pecking at her hand, so she hurried up and ripped the last bit of string off.

'Thanks Archy.' She muttered, rubbing the place where he'd pecked her.

The owl hooted one last time and took off, tipping Amy's goblet of juice on to her piece of toast. Watching it become slowly orange and soggy, Amy realised she'd lost her appetite.

'I'm not hungry guys,' She said, scrambling out of the bench. 'I'll see you in Herbology.'

'But we haven't given you the rest of our presents!' Bethany protested.

'You can give them to me later,' Amy said quickly. 'Bye.'

As she walked down the space in between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables she saw Fred Weasley wave at her (at least she presumed it was Fred seeing as she didn't actually know George yet), but she pretended not to see him and carried on walking. He'd probably heard about her birthday and wanted to congratulate her, and right now, that was the last thing she needed or wanted.

She quickly crossed the Entrance Hall and exited through the great wooden front doors, emerging into the cold, grey morning. Walking quickly, she went and found her special place under the tree, by the lake. She spread her cloak on the ground and sat down, leaving her bag next to her.

For ten minutes she sat there, leaning against the tree trunk and with her arms around her knees, just looking at the envelope in her hands. Finally she shook herself out of the trance and uncurled herself. Sitting cross-legged, she slit open the blue wax-sealed envelope. She tipped it upside down and a few sickles plinked into her lap, along with a single piece of unadorned, folded parchment.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the parchment and read:

_Amy,_

_Happy Birthday_

_Dad_

Sighing she folded it up again and stuffed it in her robes pocket along with the sickles and the envelope. She pulled her legs up and sat holding her knees again, leaning against the tree trunk and just watching the silver, rippling surface of the lake, until it was time to go to class.

* * *

'Hey Cho. Hi Marietta. Have either of you seen Amy?' Daisy asked. 

Marietta shook her head.

'No. Sorry Daisy.' Cho said. 'Not since we finished Defense Against the Dark Arts.'

'I noticed she left the classroom very fast though.' Marietta commented.

'Is everything OK?' Cho asked, noticing Daisy's worried expression.

Daisy's smile was strained.

'Yeah, yeah. Everything's fine.'

'The party still on for tonight?'

'Yes.'

'See you there.' The two girls smiled and walked into the Great Hall for lunch.

'Where _is_ she?' Daisy thought worriedly.

She spotted her sister Mandy through the crowd of students heading for lunch and called her over.

'Hey Mandy!' she waved. The younger girl's face lit up as she made her way over with one of her friends.

'Hey Daisy.'

'Hi Mandy. Hey Rachel.' She nodded at the other girl. 'Listen have you seen Amy anywhere?' Daisy said quickly.

Mandy shook her head but her friend nodded.

'I looked out of the window just now and saw her heading for the lake.'

'The lake?' Daisy said, surprised. 'Why would Amy go to the lake?'

The girl shrugged.

'Thanks.' Daisy said to her.

'No problem.' The girl smiled, and she and Mandy went into the Great Hall.

Daisy shook her head bemusedly as she headed towards the oak front doors.

* * *

_"…-in which the offender is put to shore with a little powder and shot, and left behind on some desolate and distant island._

_"Marooned three years agone," he continued, "and lived on goats since then, and berries, and oysters. Wherever a man is, says I, a man can do for himself. But, mate, my heart is sore for Christian diet. You mightn't happen to have a piece of cheese about you, now? No? Well many's the long night I've dreamed of cheese –toasted mostly- and woke up again, and here I were."_

_"If ever I can get aboard again," said I, "you shall have cheese by the-…"_

'Oh no.' Daisy sighed, finally spotting her friend sitting under a tree, reading a book. 'This can't be good…'

She walked over to her friend and sat down next to her.

'Amy?' she said softly

She looked up and Daisy saw that the rims of her eyes were slightly pink.

'Hello Daisy.' She said just as quietly, turning back to her book.

'What's happened Amy?' Daisy asked, watching her friend for signs of a reaction. But Amy didn't move. 'Is it the party?' she asked tentatively.

Amy laughed, a short and bitter laugh.

'No Daisy.' She shook her head. 'It's not the party.'

'Then what…' Daisy trailed off, seeing the look on Amy's face.

There was a pause, where Daisy looked worriedly at her friend. After Amy had ignored her for a full two minutes, she stood up.

'See you in class Amy.' She said quietly.

She walked back to the oak front doors but stopped before going in to take a last look at Amy.

'Maybe Beth is right.' She thought, going inside. 'Maybe the party _will_ cheer her up…'

* * *

'I'm telling you Jacob, it will not be giant snakes!' Amy said as Daisy, Jacob and herself left the Ancient Runes classroom. 

'Well it's betetr then you're idea!' Jacob shook his head furiously. 'Battling the giant squid...come on!'

'Squid.'

'Snakes.'

'Squid!'

'Snakes!'

'Squid squid _squid_!'

'Snake snake _snake_!'

'Fascinating conversation.' Daisy commented. 'Remind me to hang out with you guys again.'

Jacob laughed and Amy giggled. Daisy glanced at her. Amy had joined Jacob and Daisy in the classroom after lunch for Ancient Runes, and Daisy had noticed that she no longer seemed in a strange mood. She seemed to have cheered up and all traces of the vague look in her eyes before lunch had disappeared. Daisy hoped it was gone for good.

'Hey, Amy,' Jacob pointed at the window behind Amy, 'isn't that your uncle's owl?'

Amy spun round and recognised the beautiful screech owl outside.

'Melúsine!' She opened the window and the owl flew on to her shoulder. 'What's this?' She quickly untied the package and letter from the owl's leg and stroked its beak. 'Thanks Melúsine.' The owl hooted and took off again through the window towards the owlery.

Amy quickly slit open the envelope and read the message.

_Chère Amy,_

_Bon Anniversaire!_

_Happy 16__th__ Birthday!_

_I trust you are well? I hope so! I am sorry if this is late. I have sent Mélusine early but I still do not entirely trust her ability to cross the Channel so fast!_

_Your uncle is very busy at Beauxbatons. He says his classes seem stupider than ever this term and that he is not sure how much longer he will be able to teach Astronomy to such stupid enfants, but he has been saying that ever since he began teaching so I am thinking he is OK. Edward is doing well at school, he was glad to see you at Christmas, as were we all! We are hoping you will be able to visit us again this summer. David wishes me to ask you to please send him some more of those Barty Bits Beans you gave him for Christmas._

_I hope you have a good birthday!_

_Your tante Sylvie_

_P.S. Forgive me if the gift is not to your liking. David chose it and he assured me you would love it, mais je ne suis pas sure!_

Amy smiled a small, sad smile, comparing the sweet informative letter from her aunt to the short message from her father. She folded the parchment, put it into her pocket and turned to the gift (which was wrapped in blue and red paper checked paper).

'Jacob!' Bethany came flying down the corridor, her blonde hair streaming behind her. 'Daisy! I've got them! I've- Oh.' She stopped, spotting Amy suddenly. 'Hi Amy.'

'Hi Beth.' Amy smiled back, resolving to open the parcel later, in the privacy of the dorm. As she slid it into her bag, Daisy glanced at her again.

She was sure Amy knew that Bethany had been about to say something about the party. So why was she not biting Beth's head off? It seemed that Amy had resigned herself to the party, deciding to just let Bethany get on with it.

'Um…Daisy?' Bethany asked hesitantly, glancing at Amy again. 'Can I talk to you for a minute?'

'Sure.' Daisy nodded, glancing at Amy too. 'See you in Transfiguration guys.'

Amy nodded, a small smile playing around on her lips.

'Yeah, see you Daisy.'

She and Jacob carried on walking, leaving Bethany and Daisy behind.

'Any idea what that was about?' Amy asked Jacob innocently as soon as they were out of sight.

'Nope.' He fibbed, shaking his head.

'Oh well.' Amy grinned, noticing his discomfort. 'I'm sure we'll find out eventually.'

They entered the classroom and sat down in their seats, taking out books, parchment, ink, quill and wand. Bethany and Daisy suddenly skidded into the room, closely followed by Professor McGonagall who went straight to her desk and started the lesson.

Amy sighed. They were still working on Vanishing, and Amy, whose best subject was definitely _not_ Transfiguration was still having definite trouble vanishing her frog.

She sighed again as McGonagall gave the order to start practising, and pointed her wand at the poor frog, partly glad to have something to place her concentration in.

* * *

_Amy,_ _Can you meet us on the seventh floor, by that painting of the pale witch wearing a Venomous Tentacula for a hat, at half-past eight tonight? _

_We need to talk to you._

_FW_

* * *

Amy stared at the note the small brown owl had just delivered with a mixture of surprise, intrigue and excitement. It sounded like she was going to finally meet the other half of the Weasley twin set, and also, hopefully, find out what the mystery of the library books was about. 

Daisy had told her that her "surprise" birthday party was set to start at nine that night, and Amy had decided that the easiest course of action would be to escape just before that and hide. Battling Bethany over the party would have been way too complicated and messy.

Now, she had a legitimate excuse to leave the common room and once she'd finished seeing what Fred wanted, she'd go and find a hiding place in a cupboard or something, somewhere. Anything was better than having to smile and act happy for a party she hadn't ever wanted in the first place. And Bethany couldn't blame her for not turning up because, supposedly, Amy had no idea it was even happening.

So after dinner that night, Amy went up to the dormitory alone, leaving her friends to organise her "surprise" party.

She sat down on her bed, pulled the blue hangings around her and plucked the package she had received from her aunt from her bag. Reaching into the pocket of her jeans she pulled out the letter and re-read it with a small smile. Then she turned her attention to the parcel.

She pulled at the paper, trying to see if she could get it off without ripping it. Once it was unwrapped she grinned. Her cousin had been right. It was perfect.

At a quarter past eight, Amy walked down the stairs to the common room.

As expected, all her friends were sitting conspicuously innocently around the fire, and Amy spotted a table in a far corner, hiding a bundle of packages under a cloth.

'I'm going to meet Weasley, guys.' She announced. Their heads turned and Amy noticed Bethany's sudden expression of panic. She smiled inwardly.

'Oh. Oh- okay.' Bethany tried to sound unbothered. 'How long are you going to be?'

'Don't know.' Amy said truthfully.

'Oh.' Bethany was starting to sound worried.

'Don't think it will be too long though.' Amy said with a small smile.

'Oh. Okay then.' Bethany said sounding relieved.

As she left the common room she caught Daisy's eye and winked.

* * *

'Fred?' 

The two ginger heads turned as one and grinned. Amy noticed that both their grins were identical.

'Hey Amy.' The one on the left said. The other one was staring at her with a strange look on his face

'Er…hi.' She said, looking from one to the other. 'Erm…Which one of you is Fred?'

'I'm Fred.'

'No you're not.' The other one turned to his brother. '_I'm_ Fred.'

'No, _I'm_ Fred!'

'No, _I_ am!'

'No, _me_!'

'Me!'

'_Me_!'

'Er... guys?' Amy said still looking from one to the other. 'This is getting kind of confusing.'

If it was possible, their grins grew even broader.

'Seriously,' she was still looking from one to the other, trying to find a difference, even a tiny one, so as to be able to tell them apart, 'which one of you is Fred?'

'I am.' They said in unison.

Amy rolled her eyes.

'OK, OK.' The one on the left said, raising his hands in defeat. 'I'm George.'

'I thought I was George.' The other one looked confused.

'No. _I'm_ George.' The first one said.

'OK, forget confusing.' Amy shook her head. 'This is just plain weird.'

'OK, fine.' The one on the left grinned again. 'I'm Fred. Promise.'

Amy narrowed her eyes.

'You sure?'

'Definitely.' He said with a nod, still grinning. 'I'm handsomer than him.'

Both Amy and the other twin rolled their eyes.

'You wish.' George scoffed.

'What?' Fred said defensively. 'I am!'

'I'm George.' The other one held out his hand and Amy shook it. 'I've seen you before. You were laughing at us in the Hall the day they announced the Champions.'

'Guilty as charged.' Amy grinned back. 'I wondered which one of you that was. I can't tell you apart.' She confessed.

'You were _laughing_ at us Amy?' Fred pretended to be hurt.

'Instant beards.' Amy grinned again. 'What's not to laugh about?'

'Can we change the subject from that embarrassing moment,' George said, shaking his head. His brother grinned.

'To business, then. We don't want to keep you long.' He nodded at Amy.

'I'm in no rush.' Amy muttered grimly, remembering what was going on in the common room.

'Shall I start?' Fred looked to his brother, who nodded. 'Right. Well we know you've been wondering about all the books you've been getting for us and-'

'You're going to tell me what was with all the books?' Amy brightened.

They both nodded.

'George and I have set up a joke business.' Fred began.

'Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes.' George clarified.

'So far, we've managed to develop fake wands that turn into different things when you pick them up-' Fred continued.

'You know, things like rubber chickens, pairs of underpants…stuff like that.' George explained.

'We've also started making joke sweets.' Fred said. 'Have you used any of those sweets I gave you yet?' He asked Amy.

'Oh yeah.' Amy nodded with a grin, remembering Jacob the Canary and Eddie's super-sized tongue incident. 'I used them all right.'

'Excellent.' Fred grinned again.

'They work all right?' George asked.

'If they were supposed to turn people into canaries and give them huge-tongues.' Amy grinned. 'Then yeah. They worked.'

'Good.' George grinned.

'So what's this got to do with those books?' Amy asked. 'Or me, for that matter.' She added.

'We've been researching a new type of sweet.' George said.

'One to make you sick.' Fred explained.

'Sick?' Amy said slightly alarmed.

'Not really sick.' Fred assured her. 'We just thought it would be quite useful to have a sweet to give to your enemies, that would make _them_ sick.'

'I see.' Amy nodded. 'So you've been looking up ways to cause small illnesses.'

'Like vomiting, fainting, a fever…'

'Nosebleed?' Amy suggested.

'Exactly.' George grinned. 'You're right.' He turned to his brother, still grinning. 'She's perfect.'

'Perfect for what?' Amy said suspiciously. 'If you want me to test these-'

'No.' Fred laughed. 'Don't worry, we haven't developed them yet.'

'And we wouldn't make you do that anyway.' George added. 'We agreed that as they're our products we should be the ones to test them, to make sure they're not harmful.'

'That was George's bright idea.' Fred sighed mournfully.

'So what am I perfect for?' Amy asked, still confused.

The twins looked at each other, before turning back to Amy.

'See, we each have different parts to play in making the stuff.' Fred explained.

'We both put forward joke ideas.'

'We all research.'

'Fred's good at coming up with names, slogans and publicity.'

'George usually comes up with the methods, spells, potions and stuff we need.'

'We both develop the stuff, but Lee helps as well.' George added. 'He's very good at Transfiguration and Charms, so he helps out a lot with that part.'

'_But_,' Fred continued. 'we sometimes have trouble with the potions.'

'Some of the methods are a bit too complicated for us.' George shook his head

'Yeah. We were always more fixated in finding ways of blowing up Snape than actually listening to him.' Fred explained.

'So we're not very good at them.'

'And I am.' Amy understood.

'You are.' Fred nodded.

'We checked with Katie Bell, who has the same Potions class as you, and she agreed that you're top of the class there.'

'So,' Fred glanced at George, who nodded, 'we'd like you to become part of our team.'

'You want me to help you make joke products?' Amy said, stunned.

'Yes.' They both nodded.

'But- but…' Amy stopped. Two different personalities had suddenly burst into the centre of her brain, battling.

"But what if your dad catches you?" the more sensible, good and studious one said.

"**Like he'd even notice**." scoffed the second, more adventurous, trouble-making one said 

"Yeah, but he might find out, and then you'd be in deep trouble." Worried Miss Sensible.

"**How is he going to find out if you don't tell him**" Reasoned Miss Adventure. 

"Your O.W.L.s are coming up." Argued Miss Sensible. 'You need to study. You haven't got _time_ to-'

"**You can still study. But you deserve some fun!**"

"But-"

"**Bethany's right. You need cheering up. Forget the party, this is the perfect way!**"

"But what if-"

"**Say yes!**"

'_If_ I said yes,' Amy began. They both turned to her. '_if_, there'd be a condition.'

'We'd pay you, of course.' George said.

Amy shook her head.

'I wouldn't want you to pay me.'

'But-'

'No, seriously. I wouldn't want payment.' Amy said. 'If I say yes I'll do it because I need something to do in my life and I have a feeling that it would be fun, if nothing else.'

'Fair enough.' Fred said, looking at his brother. 'So what would the condition be?'

'Nobody except you two and Lee must know I'm helping you.'

'Er…Can we ask why?' Fred asked, bemused.

'Because I wouldn't want anyone knowing.' Amy replied firmly. 'Would you promise?'

The twins looked at each other and shrugged.

'If you're sure.' Fred sighed.

'I am.'

'OK. Anything else?' George asked.

'Yeah, I wouldn't be able to help too much until the end of this year.' Amy warned them. 'I've got my O.W.L.s remember?'

'No problem.' George nodded.

'Yeah, we're not completely ready to start with these yet anyway.' Fred agreed.

Amy nodded.

'If you said yes, we'd ask you to brew something for us, as well.' George said. 'Just as a precaution.'

'Though I think we can trust Katie's judgement.' Fred added.

'Thanks.' Amy said with a roll of her eyes.

'Oh!' she said, a thought striking her suddenly. 'I'd need to know where you guys make the things I suppose.'

'Good point.' George nodded again.

'But we'll tell you _that_ if you agree to join us.' Fred said with a grin.

'Fair enough.' Amy grinned back.

'You'd also be sworn to secrecy by the way.' George put in.

'Yeah,' Fred nodded grinning still, 'we don't want rival joke-makers coming out with our products now do we?'

'Any other questions?' George said with a roll of his eyes at his brother.

'Yes.' Amy nodded. 'What exactly would I have to do as Potion-maker?'

'Well as Fred said, we're not ready to start making the sweets yet.' George said. 'So for now, you wouldn't have to do much, unless you'd like to help with research so as to know what you're dealing with once we do start making them.'

'You might have to still help us with the books from the library as well.' Fred said, grinning. 'We still aren't Madam Pince's favourite twins…'

'Wonder why.' Amy grinned. George chuckled.

'But then once we're ready it would basically be just that, make the potions.' Fred said.

'Lee, Fred and I then experiment with different spells and stuff to compress them into sweets and make them safe, time-controlled…stuff like that.' George explained.

'It does take a while.' Fred said, seeing the look on Amy's face.

'Took us a whole summer to make the toffees.'

'And then our mum threw them out.' Fred scowled.

'Your mum doesn't approve?' Amy asked interestedly.

'No.' George sighed.

'She wants us to go into the Ministry like our older brother, Perfect Prefect Percy.' Fred said with a disgusted look on his face.

'That sounds familiar…' Amy thought with a sigh.

'So.' Fred said, looking at Amy closely, serious now. 'You in?'

'Fred,' George protested. 'She might need a bit of time to-'

'Think of what your dad would do if he found out-'

'**Do it!**'

'I'm in.' Amy said decidedly.

Inside her head, Miss Adventure grinned smugly.

* * *

'So,' George said, as they walked down the hallway, 'we'll send you an owl with a list of books you might want to check out for some background reading.' 

'OK.' Amy nodded. 'Should I take notes or anything?'

'It might be a good idea.' George nodded.

'We'll work on trying to find somewhere for you to join us in the production part, too.' Fred said.

'Oh and we'll send you some of our other products as well,' George said as they turned the corner, 'so you have an idea of more or less what-.'

They all stopped suddenly hearing a loud mew behind them. They turned and saw Mrs Norris watching them with her big yellow eyes.

Fred swore.

'Run!' George yelled.

They didn't need telling twice.

They sprinted down the length of the corridor and as they turned another corridor, Amy spotted a shiny wooden door on the left hand side.

'In here!' she motioned to the boys. She opened the door and slipped inside, followed quickly by the two twins. George closed the door and they all stood silently, praying for Filch not to find them.

Amy pressed her back against the far wall and wondered what this place was. She couldn't see a single thing. Everything was black. She took a small step to her left and felt something become dislodged. Quickly she grabbed it before it could fall to the floor and felt it.

It was a broom.

'We're in a broom cupboard.' Amy breathed.

The minutes went past and still no one opened the door to the hiding place.

'Do you think they're gone?' Fred muttered.

'I don't know.' George muttered back just as quietly. 'Better wait and make sure.'

They waited for what felt like an hour but was probably more like ten minutes.

'I think they've gone.' George muttered again.

'Amy?' Fred said. 'Where are you?'

'Here.' Amy said, holding out her hand to try and find him. It brushed warm skin and Amy felt a tingle of electricity.

'OK. And where's the door?' Fred said. Amy heard him fumbling and then there was a loud clatter as a mop fell to the floor.

Nobody breathed as they waited silently for Filch to open the door and find them.

'I think they've definitely gone.' George said, letting his breath out

'This is stupid.' Amy thought. '_Lumos_.'

The cupboard was suddenly filled with the light from Amy's wand.

'Nice one.' Fred nodded approvingly.

'Yeah.' George agreed, absentmindedly rubbing the back of his hand.

'Lets get out of here.' Amy said, reaching for the door handle. She opened it a crack and peeped out. 'Coast is clear. Come on.'

She slipped out of the door silently and waited for the boys to join her outside the cupboard.

'You'd better get back to your tower.' George said to Amy.

'Yeah.' Fred agreed with another of his grins. 'We don't need you getting into trouble on your first day as our partner.'

'Listen,' George said, pointing at a tapestry further down the corridor, 'go through here and you'll find yourself on the fifth floor. You'll be at about a hundred feet away from the Ravenclaw staircase.'

'Thanks' Amy said with a grateful smile.

'No problem.' George smiled back at her.

'We'll send you an owl when we need you.' Fred said as they quickly went over to the tapestry.

'You just pull here…' George pulled at the bottom right-hand corner of the tapestry and it swung to the side, revealing a small hole, big enough for one person.

Amy nodded, crouched down, crawled through the hole and found herself at the top of a small, hidden spiralling staircase.

'Wicked.' She breathed. She put her head back through the tapestry hole and grinned. 'Thanks guys.'

'Anytime.' Fred grinned back. 'Night Amy.'

'Night.' George smiled.

'Night.' Amy smiled up at them both. 'And thanks!'

She withdrew her head and pulled the tapestry back into its original place, before hurrying down the staircase. When she reached the bottom she found a solid piece of wood blocking the exit. She pushed it cautiously and it opened slightly. She pushed it open wider and peeped out. Seeing she was indeed, as George put it, a hundred feet away from the Ravenclaw tower staircase, she clambered through the hole and turned to see it swing shut behind her. It was a portrait of a pretentious-looking, fat, old wizard stroking an owl with one finger.

'Wicked.' She breathed again. She memorised its position for future reference and then hurried silently down the corridor towards the spiral staircase that lead to Ravenclaw tower.

Amy yawned as she climbed the staircase. She hadn't noticed how tired she was. She looked at the watch on her wrist and her eyes widened, seeing it was past eleven o'clock. She hadn't realised how late it was either!

'We must have been in that cupboard longer than I thought.' Amy shook her head. She reached the top of the staircase, and groaned at the thought of having to answer a question from the bronze knocker now.

'What is the definition of magic?' The eagle asked her in its soft lilting voice.

'Energy in its purest form, that changes at the will of an outside force.' Amy said, tiredly.

'Nicely put.' The eagle said. The door swung open and Amy wearily went through it.

'Amy!' Amy looked up and stopped suddenly, seeing Bethany's angry face. 'Where have you _been_?'

Amy groaned as she remembered the party. She really didn't need this now. All she wanted to do was go up to her warm and comfortable four-poster and fall asleep.

She glanced around the almost deserted common room taking in the food on the floor, the cups littered all over the place, the popped balloons and half-hanging paper chains, the pile of presents in the corner and the worse for wear appearance of several of her classmates, including Eddie.

'Well?' Bethany demanded. 'Where have you been? You _completely_ missed your party! Everyone was asking where you were!'

'I told you I didn't want a party, Bethany.' Amy said tiredly.

'Yes but-'

'And I was reading.' She fibbed, making up an excuse for her prolonged absence.

'_Reading_!' Bethany exclaimed. 'But it's-'

'Look, I'm tired, Bethany.' Amy said, turning to the girls' staircase. 'I'll talk to you tomorrow.'

'But-'

'Night Bethany.'

Amy slowly trudged up the stairs and into the dorm, where she saw Daisy, Kia, Cho and Marietta asleep in their beds. She changed into her blue pyjamas quickly and slipped in between the covers of her bed with a sigh.

'Happy birthday Amy.' She said to herself, and promptly fell asleep.

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE:** Well here's Chapter 4 guys!! Many thanks to my reviewers! Chapter 5 will be up (hopefully) before I go back to school on the 19th (I LOVE the spanish school system...) so keep an eye open!

_Interesting note:_ You may not find this interesting...just thought I'd mention Amy's birthday is the 12th of February. Please don't berate me if I've got the days/dates of the year wrong. I calculated it's now 1995 (I think). But I wasn't totally sure so I just made up the date. It worked for me to have Amy's birthday on a Friday. 12th of February is actually my best friend's birthday so there you go...Dedicated to you Tituu!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing that isn't mine.

**_REVIEW!!!_** (please?)


	5. Ch5: Dammit he's dropped me in the Lake

**CHAPTER 5: Dammit, he's dropped me in the** **Lake**

Amy woke up early, suddenly, and without knowing why. She closed her eyes and stayed where she was, hoping to go back to sleep, but her mind was now awake and would not let her rest. So, sighing, she got up and dressed quickly in cords, a warm sweater and boots. Noticing the frosty exterior through the window, she added her Ravenclaw scarf, some gloves, a woolly hat and threw her cloak around her to keep warm, before silently leaving the dorm and creeping down the stairs to the common room.

She slipped out of the great front doors and stood on the top step, just observing the view from where she stood. Shivering, she drew her cloak tighter around herself and decided to walk around the lake to warm up.

As she walked, her mind started to wander, drawing her back to yesterdays many events. Frowning, she thought of Bethany and her surprise birthday party. Amy knew her friend had done it with the best intentions, but her intentions would have been even better if she had just listened to Amy and ignored her birthday.

That was all Amy had wanted.

To forget.

To forget the memory of her mother making her favourite chocolate pancakes for breakfast as a little girl.

To forget the time of when her parents had spoiled her at the zoo as a happy eight year-old, buying her ice cream and a huge soft toy tiger for her present.

To forget the moment when she blew out the candles on her birthday cake and wished, more than anything, to be accepted at Hogwarts.

To forget the huge, bright and sparkly birthday cards her mother had always sent on her birthday. (Even though, officially, they were from both parents, Amy had always known that her mother was the sole creative source of these colourful creations.)

But try as she might, Amy hadn't been able to completely obliterate these memories from her mind. The sight of her father's short and stark note had thrown her mothers happy cards into sharp focus, reminding her that she would never again receive one of them again. All she had to look forward to from now on, on her birthday, was a note of the same sort, from a father who seemed to want nothing more than to forget she existed.

Amy closed her eyes as she felt tears start to well up and concentrated on not crying. She had cried enough and Amy had promised herself not to do it over her father again, but it was hard, because, after all, he was her father, and she loved him. And no half-orphaned girl wants to be ignored and separated from the one thing that still joins her physically to her mother.

'Hey Amy!'

Amy quickly brushed her hand over her eyes to check that all the tears were gone, and looked up. She smiled as she saw one of the Weasley twins waving at her from the other side of the lake.

'Hi!' she waved back.

'Wait there!' He said.

Amy stopped and obeyed orders, not moving from where she was standing as she watched him skirt the lake and come towards her, grinning.

'Hi.' He smiled.

'Hey.' She smiled back, trying to figure out which one he was.

There was silence as Amy desperately tried to work it out. She _hated_ not knowing things and not knowing how to distinguish them was starting to bug her.

'How am I supposed to tell you guys apart?' Amy burst out suddenly. 'I can never tell which one of you you are…'

'It's easy.' He grinned. 'I'm the one with red hair, Fred's the one with freckles.'

'Funny George.' Amy said, rolling her eyes.

'Very good!' He grinned. 'Yes, I'm George. M'lady…' He pretended to take off a hat and bow.

Amy laughed and curtsied exaggeratedly.

'So _good_ to see you again Sir George…'

'Sir George…' He said with a grin. 'That doesn't sound half bad actually!'

Amy grinned back.

'So was there anything specific you wanted to ask me?' she said, looking up at him. He was at least a head taller than her.

Yeah.' He nodded. 'I've got that list of books you might want to read, for your own benefit.'

'Blimey,' Amy blinked as he handed her the folded piece of parchment. 'That was fast.'

'It wasn't hard.' He shrugged with a grin. 'I know it's hard to believe, Fred being my twin and all, but I'm actually quite an organised kind of guy.'

Amy laughed as they started walking again.

'If you say so!'

He grinned.

'I also just wanted to tell you that I'm looking forward to working with you. I'm normally the one who sorts out the potions, you see.' He explained as they strolled along the edge of the lake. 'Fred's worse than I am at Potions and Lee's better at Transfiguration and Charms, so I'm normally left to do it on my own. It will be nice to have some company for a change.' He smiled down at her. 'Also it will be good to have a second opinion and some help! Maybe I'll learn how to not blow things up with your help.'

Amy laughed.

'I'm not joking.' He grinned. 'You can tell you haven't ever seen our room.'

Amy laughed again and his grin grew broader.

'Are you worried about it?' he asked, as they carried on walking.

Amy smiled again, wider this time.

'Actually, I'm kind of looking forward to it.'

'You're looking forward to blowing yourself up in the search for the perfect sickening sweet?' he teased.

'Maybe not that part…' Amy grinned. 'I think I'm just looking forward to having something to do that doesn't involve the word O.W.L.s, studying or homework.' She grinned.

'Hear, hear.' He grinned.

Amy smiled and they carried on walking for a few moments.

'Well I have to get back to my research.' George said, looking at his watch. 'Fred should hopefully be awake enough to help me out a bit by now.'

Amy laughed.

'See you later,' she waved as he headed back up the path to the castle. Smiling, she shook her head as she went to sit down under her favourite tree.

* * *

'Daisy!' Amy called, spotting her friend at the far end of the Ravenclaw table on her own. 

Waving, her friend indicated the empty space next to her. Amy made her way through the space between the tables and sat down next to her friend with a smile.

'Hi Amy.' Daisy watched as her friend grabbed a bowl of porridge and drenched it in milk and sugar. 'Where've you been?'

'Lgh.' Amy said through a mouthful of porridge.

'Come again?'

Amy swallowed.

'Lake.'

'You must have woken up early.' Daisy commented, as she took a piece of toast from the rack. 'I was awake by eight and you weren't there then.'

Amy shrugged.

'Wasn't tired.'

There was silence as they both ate.

'So what time did you get back last night?' Daisy asked, swallowing a mouthful of toast.

'About half eleven.' Amy said, taking a sip of pumpkin juice.

'What on earth were you doing all that time?'

'I met Weasley and then went and read in a classroom.' Amy lied, using the same excuse as she'd used on Bethany. 'I kind of lost track of time…'

'I'll say.' Daisy grinned. '_And_ you didn't get busted by Filch, which has to be some kind of miracle.'

'Amy smiled slightly, remembering last nights escapade in the broom closet.

'A very big miracle…'

'Have you seen Bethany yet?' Daisy asked.

'She caught me coming in last night.' Amy grimaced. 'I don't think she's best pleased with me at the moment…'

'Doubt it.' Daisy sighed. 'Everyone kept asking where you were and she had to keep saying that you'd be there soon…'

'Except I didn't.'

'No…Marietta says that she suddenly caught on at about half ten that you weren't going to come. Apparently she got very upset.'

'Didn't you see her?' Amy asked with a frown.

Daisy shook her head with a small smile.

'I went up to the dorm at about ten. Couldn't stand the tension and drinking downstairs.'

'Was she awake when you came down?' Amy asked.

'No. You know Bethany,' Daisy said with a smile. 'Saturday's are for sleeping.'

Amy smiled weakly.

The two girls stood up and left the Great Hall, which was now starting to fill up with students. On the way out Amy spotted Fred and George sitting at the Gryffindor table, their heads bent together over the table with the dark-skinned Lee Jordan. They seemed to be arguing quietly about something. Amy hoped it wasn't about her.

'So, what d'you want to start with today?' Daisy asked as they reached the foot of the marble staircase. 'Potions, Transfiguration, Runes or Defence Against the Darks Arts?'

'How about…'

Amy stopped as she realised she didn't feel like doing homework at all that day.

'How about we don't do homework today?'

'Not do homework?' Daisy raised her eyebrows. 'Well… what else could we do?'

Amy thought for a minute.

'Lets…Lets go and see if we can change the Giant Squid's colour! We could turn him red!'

'The Giant Squi- Amy, are you feeling all right?' Daisy frowned, feeling Amy's forehead. 'Have you got a headache, feel dizzy…?'

'I'm fine.' Amy sighed. 'I was just joking.'

'Good.' Daisy said with relief, 'you had me worried there for a minute!'

Amy smiled slightly.

'Come on.' Daisy said, leading the way up the marble staircase. 'Defence it is!'

Amy sighed, but followed her friend.

'Fred would have found it fun…' she found herself thinking.

* * *

'Daisy.' Amy said. 

'So if you-'

'Daisy!'

'Sorry, what?'

'I need a break.'

'Oh.' Daisy looked surprised. 'What time is it?'

'Ten past one.' Amy said, pointing at her watch.

'Oh.' Daisy still looked surprised. 'I didn't realise it was so late.'

Amy rolled her eyes.

'Yeah, because time flies when you're having fun...'

'I know!' Daisy exclaimed, missing the sarcastic tone in Amy's voice. 'Strange isn't it?'

Amy rolled her eyes again.

'Very strange.'

The girls packed up their things and left the library. Daisy was still talking about the homework and Amy was starting to imagine ways of getting her to be quiet. She was getting a headache.

'Amy!'

Amy looked up and groaned as she saw Bethany, Kia and Jacob heading towards them. Bethany was leading, and by the look on her face, she hadn't forgiven Amy's disappearing act yet…

'Hi Bethany.' She said weakly. 'Hi Kia, Jacob.'

'Hey Amy.' Jacob said, looking at her sympathetically.

'Hi Ames.' Kia said with a smile.

'Where's Eddie?' Amy asked, looking behind them, confused.

'Unconscious.' Jacob grinned.

'You'd think he would have learnt his lesson last year wouldn't you.' Kia shook her head.

'I want an explanation!' Bethany snapped suddenly.

'For what!' Amy exclaimed, turning to her.

'Where were you last night?'

'Reading!' Amy lied.

'Yeah right…'

'I was!' Amy protested. 'I told you that last night!'

'Well you should have been in the common room!' Bethany yelled. 'We'd organised you a party!'

'Well I _told_ you I didn't want one!' Amy retorted.

'Yeah, and we were supposed to believe you _meant_ it?' Bethany said, with a snort.

'Yeah you were!' Amy yelled. 'If I say something I meant it! Not like you!'

'What!'

'I seem to remember you promising me you wouldn't organise a party!'

'I didn't! I never promised you anything!' Bethany yelled back.

'Oh yeah?'

'Yeah!'

'You still shouldn't have done it!' Amy seethed. 'I just wanted to _forget_ my birthday and you go and completely ruin it!'

'You did that by yourself!' Bethany retorted. 'Cutting yourself off from us and refusing to even talk to us!'

'I- I.' Amy stuttered. 'I don't have to explain myself to you!'

'Well we're _supposed_ to be friends!'

'Some friend!'

'Talking of friends, did Daisy give you a detention?'

'And- What?' Amy stopped, the change of subject taking her by surprise. 'Why should Daisy give me a detention?'

'You were out after curfew.' Bethany smirked.

'Daisy…' Amy turned to her friend.

'She has to give you one.' Bethany sounded smug.

'I- Well I-' Daisy stuttered, looking from one furious girl to the other. '…I-'

'You're a prefect Daisy.' Bethany said, crossing her arms. 'Amy was out after curfew. If you don't punish Amy, I'll…I'll go to Flitwick and tell him that Amy was out _and_ that you're prejudiced with your friends!'

'You wouldn't!' Amy said, narrowing her eyebrows.

'Watch me.' Bethany narrowed her own.

'Amy… I...' Daisy lowered her eyes.

'Don't worry about it.' Amy said, turning to her friend. 'I don't want you losing your badge. See you later.'

She turned on her heel and walked down the hallway, leaving two worried, one distressed, and one seething ex friend behind her.

* * *

'Argh!' Amy threw herself on her bed and screamed into her cushion. 

She'd spent the rest of the day hiding in her favourite spot by the lake, reading. She'd thought dimly of going to the library to check out the books on the list George had given her that morning, but had given up the idea realising her friends would probably be in there studying. The last thing she wanted was to bump into them again today.

'Ow!' she sat up suddenly, feeling something dig into her hip. She rummaged around and found what it was: a medium-sized rectangular package wrapped in plain navy paper and tied with a white ribbon. Gritting her teeth she lifted it to throw at the wall, but a small piece of parchment floated onto the bed and she lowered it again. She picked up the parchment and looked at it carefully. It had her name on. Curiously, she unfolded it and read:

_Amy,_

_Happy birthday!_

_I know you said you didn't want anything this year, _

_but I was planning on giving this to you anyway so it might as well be today._

_It's an old book Milly bought last Christmas at an auction _

_(you remember my sister Milly right? She's studying unicorns in Scotland.)_

_It came mixed in with in a lot of books she bought, but she didn't want this one,_

_so I asked if I could have it to give to you._

_I hope you like it,_

_Your friend,_

_Daisy_ _xxxxx_

Right at the bottom of the page was a short postscript written in a different-coloured ink with a hurried hand.

_P.S. I'm really sorry about today… You know I didn't want to do it right? I'm giving you twenty lines: "I will not stay out past curfew". You might be interested (and amused) to know that Bethany got a detention too. Professor McGonagall heard her talking in the hallway about your "party "… She said drinking was not allowed at Hogwarts and gave her detention for a week! Hope you're OK and not too mad at me… D xx_

Amy grinned as she read about Bethany's detention.

'She deserves it,' she thought as she picked up Daisy' gift again. Quickly, she unwrapped it. A thick leather-bound book dropped onto her lap. Picking it up she turned it over and read the title written in gold script.

PERFECT, PRACTICAL POTIONS FOR PRACTISED PEOPLE 

Grinning widely, she opened it and began leafing through the pages. There were basic potions for things like growing, shrinking, changing colour, growing hair, curing basic afflictions like boils… More intermediate potions such as love potions, beauty products, strengthening solutions… And then there were the more complicated potions…

Flicking through, Amy saw pages on how to make Amortentia, the most powerful love potion in the world, the strongest sleeping potion ever heard of, the Polyjuice potion, Veritaserum and there was even a chapter on making Felix Felicis! Amy had heard of this potion of course, its effects were described as liquid luck, that is to say, that a couple of spoonfuls would give a person enough luck to change the circumstances of most things in his favour. Looking at the method and ingredients, Amy saw that it was one of the most complicated potions she had ever seen before, even harder than the Polyjuice potion, which she had always seen as way above N.E.W.T level.

Looking quickly at the index at the end of the book, she saw that there were a couple of chapters dedicated to illnesses and curing them. She closed the book with a wide smile and looked down at the cover.

'Daisy.' She said out loud. 'You rock!'

* * *

'Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, _thank_ _you_!!' Amy threw her arms around Daisy. It was early-ish Sunday morning and Amy had just entered the Great Hall for breakfast. 

'Amy!' Daisy laughed. 'Let me breathe!'

Amy let go and sat down next to her friend.

'I take it you like it then?' Daisy smiled.

'I love it!' Amy exclaimed. 'I meant to thank you last night but I spent all evening reading it and then fell asleep.'

'I'm glad you like it.' Daisy grinned. 'Are you annoyed with me about yesterday?' she said, her grin fading slightly.

'No.' Amy shook her head. 'It wasn't your fault.'

'But Beth-'

'Now _her_ I'm mad at.' Amy's eyes narrowed. 'I'm not forgiving her. I don't intend to speak, look or even acknowledge her existence ever again.'

'But Amy…'

'No Daisy. First she ignored me when I said I didn't want a party and then when I didn't turn up, threatened to have your badge taken away.'

'But she's your friend Amy. I'm sure she didn't-'

'Mean to do it?' Amy scoffed. 'Oh yeah, I'm sure some alien from outer space took over her brain and forced her to do it all. And she's not my friend. Not anymore.' She took a piece of toast and began buttering it furiously.

Daisy sighed. She hated to admit it but Amy was right. It wasn't in Daisy's nature to think badly of people, but Bethany had really gone too far this time. She'd always been a bit shallow and slightly self-absorbed, but this… Daisy was starting to think that maybe "a bit" and "slightly" didn't exactly describe Bethany properly.

'More like deeply shallow and truly self-absorbed.' Daisy thought sadly. 'I can't believe she threatened to have my badge taken away…'

Daisy's thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of Elliot Hollow, the male sixth year Ravenclaw prefect.

'Brocklehurst, Cassidy.' He said, sitting down opposite Daisy and nodding at the two girls.

They looked at each other, surprised. Hallow had barely ever said three words to them. He was a head-boy in the making, perfect school marks, eleven "O's" in his O.W.L.s and studying for seven N.E.W.T.s. He had a rich family, a younger, also perfect, sister in the second year and a girlfriend from Beauxbatons who, Amy had heard, was as perfect and good-looking as he was. Tall and well built, he had smooth dark brown hair, dark brown eyes and golden coloured skin. Many of the girls from other houses found him very attractive but Amy and her friends had been put off by his strict rules and pompous attitude.

'Hi.' Daisy said uncomfortably.

'Hey.' Amy said, watching him suspiciously. 'What can we do for you?'

'Actually, it was Margaret I was hoping to talk to.' He said politely, turning to her. Amy raised her eyebrows. _Margaret_?!

'Oh.' Daisy said, flustered.

'I've heard from a reliable source that you refrained from giving a person of your year punishment, just because they were your friend.'

'Well I-'

'Who is this _reliable_ source?' Amy said, narrowing her eyes. She had a shrewd suspicion of who it was.

'Yes, well I must remind you Margaret,' he said, acting as if he hadn't heard Amy, 'that forgoing your prefect duties for the sake of your little friends, is not what is seen as future head-girl material.'

'And what if she doesn't want to be head-girl?' Amy exclaimed.

'And that seniors such as myself, the head-boy and girl, and the Professors take a serious view of punishment for misbehaving students. Rule-breaking will not be tolerated.'

'Yes, professor Hollow.' Amy muttered under her breath.

'Also, you realise that your badge could be taken away if you violate your prefect privileges?' He continued, not having heard Amy's mutter.

'Er…Yes, thank you Elliot.' She said, turning back to him. 'But I promise you I take my prefect duties very seriously.'

'So you can tell your "reliable source", where she can-'

Daisy interrupted Amy

'And I promise, I never let any rule breaking escape me.' Daisy smiled angelically at him. 'After all, it's my dream to follow your great footsteps and then become head-girl.'

Elliot smiled back, mollified.

'I'm glad to hear it.' He stood up. 'Thank you.'

Amy made faces at his back as he moved up the table to sit by his friends.

'Amy, stop it, he'll see you!' Daisy said glancing after him.

'I hope he does.' She growled. 'Pompous prat.'

'Yes, well I agree,' Daisy grinned, 'but he's still a senior prefect so try to control yourself, at least until he's out of sight. Please?'

'Fine,' Amy sighed, 'but only because it might hurt your chances of becoming head-girl.' She grinned. 'I never knew that was your dream, by the way. Are you sure you shouldn't go and sit by professor Hollow? It might help you on your way to following his _great_ footsteps.' She said dramatically.

'Amy-'

'Oh, and I have to ask. Does insulting your senior prefect mean I have another detention? Even if I'm your little friend? Because I'd understand, you know…Rule breaking _must_ not be tolerated. After all-'

'Amy?'

'Yeah?'

'Shut up.'

* * *

'Oh dammit…' Amy sighed as her quill broke for the third time. 

It was nearly a week after their breakfast chat with Hollow, and Amy was sitting in her favourite spot by the lake reading one of the books she had checked out of the library under George's instructions. She was only about half of the way through the list and already she had a huge pile of notes written and hidden under her mattress in the dorm.

She and Bethany hadn't spoken at all since their fight. Actually, they ignored each other completely, sitting on opposite sides of the common room each night and turning their heads away if they met in the corridor. The tension in the dorm at night could be cut with a knife.

Kia had basically taken Bethany's side, though she did still smile and talk with Amy. Daisy was about the same, but she was on Amy's side and was barely exchanging words with Bethany. Considering Bethany had tried to get Daisy's badge taken away, Amy wasn't surprised. The boys had decided to go neutral, talking to both sides and pretending as if nothing had happened, though they had learned not to speak the others name in presence of either of them.

Amy shook her head, to rid her head of these thoughts, took another quill from her bag, dipped it in ink and started scribbling again, checking her book now and then as a reference.

'So if I add half a tea spoon of powdered wormwood and then-'

A rustling sound made her lift her head. She turned, looking for the source but couldn't see anything.

'Must have been a bird.' She thought with a shrug, turning back to her work.

Seconds later, she heard it again.

'Who's there?' she said warily. When only silence answered her, she stood up.

'Is there anyone th-'

'_Petrificus_ _Totalus_!'

Amy felt her body become paralysed instantly. Unable to move, she felt herself tumble over and land face down in the grass.

'Thought it very funny did ya Cassidy?' Amy recognised Montague's jeering tones. 'Thought it was hilarious to turn us into pigs?'

'Don't know about hilarious, but it was definitely appropriate.' Amy thought wishing she could say the words out loud.

'Well how funny do you think _this_ is?'

Amy felt herself levitated into the air. She could now see Montague and his cronies below her, laughing and calling out insults and catcalls. Amy realised they could probably see up her skirt and thanked Merlin that she had put tights and not socks on that morning. Even thought she was covered, she still felt her face redden.

Suddenly, she saw Montague flick his wand to the right and saw the view underneath her change to the rippling silver-grey surface she recognised as the lake.

SPLASH 

'Dammit. He's dropped me in the lake.'

Amy rolled her eyes. Or, at least, she tried to.

'The stupid prat hasn't taken the body-bind off!' she realised as she tried to move her arms and legs. Slowly, she felt herself start to sink.

A few seconds went past.

'Come on, Montague.' She thought as the light above her slowly started to dim. 'You can't leave me here forever.'

A few more seconds ticked past the clock.

'Not funny anymore Montague.' She thought, beginning to panic as the darkness grew thicker. She knew she could hold her breath for very little over a minute, and that after that she would start to drown. She must have been here for at least a minute now. She tried kicking her arms and legs furiously, but they refused to cooperate.

'I'm going to die.' She thought suddenly.

Her oxygen was running out, and fast. A normal persons reflex at this point would be to open their mouths to try and breathe. Of course they would actually take in water and not air, but Amy couldn't even do this. She could hear the screams in her mind as if they were actually coming from her mouth, but it didn't help.

'Mum…' she whispered in her mind.

Her eyes shut and she lost consciousness, still sinking into the darkness of the lake.

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE:** dundunduuuuuun!! woohoo my first cliffhanger! Thanks to all my reviewers especially _akaccino_: thank youuu! Go check out her stories people: they rock! I'll give a cookie to whoever can find the _Wicked_ quote hidden in here... 

I'm very sorry it's not longer...I think it might be my shortest chapter, but I've got very bad writers block...I hate fillers. I have all the key points planned out (some of them are even written), but I can't figure out what to do with the fillers...

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything that isn't mine. Anything you recognise is JK Rowling's work.

Plate of cookies to all who...

_**REVIEW!!!!**_

P.S. School starts in a week and my computer time will probably be severly limited seeing as I'm starting my bachillerato..but be patient because I'll still definitely be posting, just maybe less frequently!


	6. Ch6: The Second Task

**CHAPTER 6: The Second Task**

'Bloody hell! Fred! Fred, get back here!'

Amy tried to open her eyes, but the darkness didn't seem to want to leave her mind. Where was she? She heard someone run over and kneel down beside her.

'Amy!' The mystery someone said. Their voice sounded familiar. 'Amy, can you hear me?'

'Fred, she's soaked.' She felt someone touch her clothes gently. '_Calairo_.'

Suddenly, the cold wetness around her seemed to disappear to be replaced with a warm, airy dryness. She tried opening her eyes again, but the darkness still surrounded her. It took her a few more seconds to remember what had happened and realise she was still under the body-bind curse and couldn't actually open her eyes.

'Amy?'

'Do you think she's stunned?'

'_Enervate_!'

Silence.

'_Finite_ _incantatem_?' The voice Amy didn't recognise said tentatively. Amy's eyes flickered. It took her a few moments to realise she could move again. She slowly opened her eyes and blinked in the bright sunlight. She tried moving her fingers and smiled weakly when she realised they could move again. Suddenly she was hit with by a coughing spasm and started coughing and choking.

'She's awake!' A flash of orange passed in front of her vision and she felt herself be lifted up again, but, this time, by a pair of strong, warm arms.

'Come on.' Amy heard him say. 'We'd better get her to Madam Pomfrey.' Amy felt him start walking and began to feel sleepy as the slow rhythm of his footsteps and heart combined, relaxed her. He smelt nice. Like… like a tree.

'She must have fallen in the lake…' He said to his companion. 'How did you find her?'

'I saw Montague and his friends running away just as you left.' Amy realised the mysterious unknown voice was female. 'I thought it looked suspicious so I came to check. I got there just in time to see the Giant Squid chuck her onto the bank next to the tree.'

'They must have pushed her in or something.' He said darkly as they began climbing the marble staircase, ignoring the stares of their fellow students.

There was silence for a few minutes and then Amy heard another voice.

'Mr Weasley what's wro- Dear Merlin! What have you done to the poor girl!'

'It wasn't me!'

'A likely story, I'm sure!'

'It wasn't him Madam Pomfrey,' the mysterious female voice said hastily.

'Very well then…' Amy heard the woman sigh. 'Put her down here…' She felt herself be lowered onto a soft bed and let her eyes blink open again. She saw she was in the spotlessly clean and white hospital wing.

'Miss Cassidy?' Amy turned her head slightly and saw Madam Pomfrey standing next to the bed and looking at her, trying to calculate the extent of the problem. 'Can you tell me what happened?'

She opened her mouth to answer, but nothing came out. She suddenly noticed how tired she was. She felt as if she'd run a marathon and then stopped for a ten-mile bicycle ride on the way home…

'We found her next to the lake.' The mysterious female said. Amy turned her head to the other side and saw Fred Weasley standing next to a tall, dark girl with braided hair who Amy recognised as Angelina Johnson, the Gryffindor Chaser.

'We think she might have been pushed in.' Fred added.

'Dear me…' Madam Pomfrey looked alarmed at this. 'Well I won't bother her with explanations now, she's got a sprained wrist -nothing I can't cure-, and she's exhausted. We'll have to get to the root of the problem tomorrow, once she's rested. So Miss Johnson, Mister Weasley, if you please…' she indicated the door. They both nodded.

'Get better soon.' Fred smiled at her.

'Yeah.' Johnson said. 'Get better.'

Amy followed their walk to the door with her eyes and then shut them once they'd left.

'Here you are Miss Cassidy.' Madam Pomfrey said. Amy opened her eyes again and saw the nurse standing there with a steaming goblet. 'It's a potion for dreamless sleep.' She explained. Amy sat up slightly, took the goblet with her hands –which she noticed were shaking- and drank. Handing the goblet back to Madam Pomfrey she lay back down and closed her eyes, welcoming the darkness of sleep.

* * *

Amy's eyes flickered and opened. Glancing around, she saw she was in the hospital wing. What was she doing here? She wondered. 

Suddenly everything came flooding back. Montague body-binding her. Dropping her in the lake. Feeling the darkness envelope her as she lost consciousness. Being carried by Fred to the hospital wing. A woody smell. Madam Pomfrey and a goblet of miraculous sleeping potion.

She tried sitting up and groaned as her head complained at the sudden movement. Lying back down again, she lifted her hand, put it to her forehead and winced. She had a big bump on her forehead that was probably black and blue, though she had no memory of where she could have gotten it. She must have banged it on the ground when the Giant Squid saved her.

'Ah Miss Cassidy.' Madam Pomfrey came bustling in, carrying a bar of chocolate. 'You're awake, good.' She began breaking the bar into pieces.

'When can I leave?' Amy asked her, sitting up again, slowly this time.

'As soon as you've eaten this and I've checked you over.' The nurse replied, handing her a large piece of the chocolate. Amy took it obediently and nibbled on it as the nurse began checking her over.

'You seem OK, Miss Cassidy. That wrist of yours seemed to have fixed up no problem.'

'My wrist?' Amy frowned. 'What'd I do to my wrist?'

'Well it was sprained when Mr Weasley and Miss Johnson brought you in.' Madam Pomfrey said, her tone pointed. 'Which reminds me, I would like to know what happened to you yesterday.'

'Er…' Amy thought quickly. She didn't want to tell Madam Pomfrey the truth. Amy was no idiot. She knew Montague's parents were, or were acquainted with, Death Eaters, and that if he got kicked out of Hogwarts for nearly killing her, they'd be after her to finish the job their son hadn't accomplished. 'I- err… slipped. I wasn't watching where I was going and slipped and landed in the water.'

'And you don't know how to swim?' She asked, looking at her shrewdly.

'Not really.' Amy fibbed, squirming slightly under her intense scrutiny. Actually, Amy was a very good swimmer. She had spent a few summer holidays as a little girl with her cousins in the South of France, where she had learned to swim, dive and surf (a Muggle sport where people "rode" waves on a long slim board).

'Because if you were attacked Miss Cassidy this will have to be reported immediately to the headmaster and-'

'No.' Amy said a bit too quickly. 'I mean, no. It's fine. I just slipped. I promise I won't do it again.'

'Hmm…' Madam Pomfrey said suspiciously. Amy held her gaze, praying once again that she could still look convincing enough in her lie.

Finally the older woman turned away.

'Very well then, you'll be free to go once you've finished the chocolate Miss Cassidy.'

Amy sighed thankfully once the door to the nurse's office had shut. She finished the chocolate, took her clothes from the end of the bed and quickly changed in the small bathroom at the far end of the ward. Grabbing her bag and books, which she presumed Johnson had brought up with them yesterday, she left the hospital wing.

* * *

Thanking Merlin it was Sunday and early, which meant that most students were still in bed, asleep, Amy quickly made her way to the Ravenclaw common room. She flopped down on one of the blue sofas and sighed, rubbing her aching temples. She lay there for a few minutes before mounting the stairs up to her dormitory. 

'Amy!' She felt herself suddenly engulfed in a bone-crushing hug. Vaguely she registered the sound of someone closing the hangings around their bed with a swish.

'Daisy-' Amy choked. 'Need – breathe…'

'Oh! Sorry!' Daisy let go of her. Amy saw her face looked pale and harassed. 'Where have you _been_! We were all so worried when you didn't get back last night…'

Amy glanced round and saw Cho and Marietta asleep in their beds. Kia was sitting on Daisy's bed, as pale and worried-looking as Daisy herself, and Bethany had the hangings shut around her bed.

'They fell asleep about two…' Daisy said, seeing her glance in Cho and Marietta's direction. Amy smiled briefly.

'So what _happened_?'

'Montague pushed me in the lake.'

'What!' Daisy shrieked.

'You spent the night in the _lake_?!' Kia's eyes widened. Amy smiled weakly.

'Close.'

'Amy, explain!'

Amy sighed and recounted last nights' events. Kia and Daisy gasped, paled and exclaimed as she recounted how they had dumped her in the lake and how Fred and Johnson had found her.

'You have to tell someone!' Daisy whispered.

'I've told you haven't I?' Amy retorted.

'I mean…you have to tell a _teacher_ or something!'

'And what? He'll get expelled?'

'Yes!'

'And how long d'you think it will take for his parents to come finish off the job he didn't?'

Daisy opened her mouth but shut it again.

'D'you think he did it on purpose?' Kia asked in a low voice.

Daisy snorted.

'Come on, Kia… Amy's been beating him in every duel for-'

'It's possible though.'

'What!' Daisy exclaimed. 'Kia are you-'

'I mean, for all you know he might have forgotten to take the body-bind off and then couldn't see you under the water to take it off.' Kia said reasonably.

'Kia!' Daisy exclaimed, 'she nearly _drowned_! Who throws someone in the lake and just _forgets_ to take the curse off!'

'Yeah well we all know Montague not the sharpest knife in the block…' Kia shrugged.

'But-'

'Any idea how you got out?' Kia asked, interrupting Daisy.

'Johnson said she saw the Giant Squid drop me onto the side of the lake. Now I'm glad I didn't go turn him red.' Amy said with a small smile.

Daisy snorted. Kia just looked bemused.

'You were going to turn him red?'

Amy smiled properly.

'I'm hungry. You guys coming for breakfast?'

* * *

'Amy!' She turned round, hearing her name called. Daisy, Kia and herself were just leaving the Great Hall after a big breakfast of scrambled egg and bacon on toast. She saw one of the Weasleys heading towards her and grinned. 

'I'll see you in the common room later OK?' she said to her friends. They nodded and went up the marble staircase leaving her standing on her own.

'Hey.' Weasley said, drawing closer. There was a sudden smell of wood in the air and Amy grinned: she'd found the way of distinguishing them.

'Hi Fred.'

He stopped suddenly.

'How'd you know I was me?'

'Ignoring how ingrammatical that was,' she rolled her eyes. 'I'm clever.' She grinned at him.

'Yeah, so clever that you think ingrammatical is an actual word.' He rolled his eyes back at her.

'It is!'

'Is not!'

'Is too!'

'Ungrammatical is the right word.' He said triumphantly. 'Look it up. Ingrammatical doesn't exist.'

Amy opened her mouth and shut it again.

'Hmph…'

'Fred one, Amy zero.' He grinned. Amy rolled her eyes at him exaggeratedly.

'Well, I just wanted to check you were OK after yesterday.' He said, looking at her carefully.

'I'm fine.' She smiled. 'Thanks for taking me to the hospital wing.'

'Anytime.' He grinned.

'And tell Johnson I said thanks as well.' She added.

'Course.'

He frowned suddenly, 'so are you going to explain to me how you ended up in the lake?'

'I slipped?' she tried with a smile.

'Nice try,' Fred was still frowning, 'but put it this way, I know it had something to do with Montague. I'm just waiting to get the whole story off of you before I go beat him up.'

'How would you get into the Slytherin common room?' Amy asked, trying to veer the subject off of the lake incident.

'We have ways.' He said darkly. 'And don't change the subject. How did you end up in the lake?'

Amy stayed silent.

'Amy…' He said warningly.

Amy hesitated. Should she tell him the truth?

'Montague levitated me in with a body-bind curse.' She admitted finally with a sigh.

'He did _what_?!' Fred yelled. Amy shushed him quickly.

'Can you keep it down?' she glanced around. 'I don't want everyone to know…'

'Amy, if you tell on him then, with any luck, he'll get-'

'Expelled?' Amy raised an eyebrow.

'Well…yeah!'

'Have you ever met Montague's parents?'

'No.'

'Me neither. And I intend to keep it that way.'

'Ah.' Fred said, suddenly understanding. 'I get it.'

'Good. Which is why I'm not going to let you go beat him up.' She said pointedly.

'You're just going to let him get away with it?' he said indignantly.

'Course not.' Amy snorted.

'Good. 'Cause we nearly lost out best potion maker thanks to him!'

'Thanks.' Amy rolled her eyes. 'Glad to know my potion-making skills would have been missed.'

'You know what I mean… So what are you going to do to him?' Fred asked eagerly.

'I haven't actually-' Amy stopped suddenly, a grin spreading slowly over her face.

'Amy?' He asked uncertainly as she grinned dreamily at him. 'You OK?'

'Yep.' Amy's grin grew broader. 'Actually, I think I might have just thought of a way for you guys to pay me back…'

* * *

'Hang on.' George shook his head. 'Let me get this straight. She wants us to make Montague's life hell as payment for her helping us out with the potions?' 

'Yep.' Fred grinned. 'And we agreed.'

'We did?'

'Yep. I decided that it would work well for everybody.'

'And how did you figure that out?'

'She gets her payment, _and_ gets to see Montague's life made hell -so she's happy; we get to pay her back for her help -so you're happy-, _and_ we get to make one of our Slytherin friends' life hell –so I'm happy.' He explained happily.

'Good point.' George said with a grin. 'And I can understand why she'd ask us…after all-'

'We are the best!' Fred grinned at his brother.

'Any ideas?' George raised his eyebrows questioningly.

'Actually…' Fred grinned. 'Now that you mention it…'

* * *

'Amy! You have to come to the second task!' 

'No.'

'Please!'

'Nope.'

'Amy!'

'I'm not coming Daisy.' Amy said determinedly.

'But why?' Her friend wailed.

'Because Kia informed me that she was going to be sitting with you guys and I know that if she is, then Bethany will be as well.' Amy retorted.

'So?' Daisy pleaded. 'You can still come and-'

'No.' Amy turned back to her Astronomy chart. 'I refuse to sit anywhere in a ten-foot radius with that girl.'

'You sit closer than that with her in class.' Daisy pointed out. Amy glared at her.

'OK, OK.' Daisy said finally, holding her hands up. 'Don't sit near Bethany. I get it. But you still have to come! The Tournament is the biggest event of the century and you're missing everything about it! The Yule Ball-'

'It's not like I wanted to miss that.' Amy muttered.

'OK, sorry.' Daisy conceded. 'I know you wanted to stay. But you _could_ come to the task! Oh pleeease Amy!'

'No.'

'How about if we sit on our own, apart from the others?' Daisy suggested hopefully.

'No.'

'Why not?'

'Because I don't feel like it.'

Daisy banged her head on the table as Amy carried on writing the names of the planets calmly.

'What will you do if you don't come though?' Daisy said, rubbing her forehead.

'Read.'

* * *

_Hey,_

_You guys want to meet up tomorrow for research?_

_AC_

* * *

_Can't. We're going to cheer Harry on at the lake._

_Why aren't you going?_

_GW

* * *

_

_Didn't feel like it. Didn't fancy hanging out with Bethany for hours on end. _

_Plus I thought it might be a good time _

_to do some research without my dorm-mates interrupting._

_AC

* * *

_

_Amy,_

_Why don't you come with us?_

_It will be fun. We can introduce you to Lee in a neutral environment in case_

_you want to kill each other as well. Though I doubt it._

_I think you guys will get on great._

_Come on!_

_GW_

* * *

_I'll think about it._ _AC_ _

* * *

That means yes. McGongall wants to talk to us._

_See you by the lake tomorrow._

* * *

'Amy!' George waved. 'Over here!' 

Amy smiled and waved back. Slowly, she made her way through the crowds of people hanging around the perimeter of the lake to where he and another boy were standing.

'Nice scarf.' George grinned down at her. She was well wrapped up in a thick polar-neck turquoise sweater, black gloves, her black cloak and a red scarf.

'Thanks.' She grinned back. 'Thought it would be nice to show Harry some support with you guys.'

'Very good choice.' George said, with a nod. 'You need one of these though…' He handed her a red flag decorated with a picture of Harry's face and the words _Harry Potter, Gryffindor's Champion_ written in gold script.

'Nice.' She grinned.

'Lee's idea.' George nodded at the dark-skinned boy next to him. Amy looked at him properly for the first time and noticed that he was actually extremely attractive. She liked his black dreadlocks.

'Hi.' He said, holding out his hand with a smile. 'Lee Jordan, Charms and Transfiguration expert at your service.'

'Amy Cassidy.' She took his hand and shook it with a smile, 'Potions and Astronomy expert.'

'You're good at Astronomy?' George said, looking at her surprised. 'I didn't know that.'

Amy shrugged.

'My uncle is the Beauxbatons Astronomy professor. Spending summers at his house is an educational hazard.'

Lee grinned at her again and she found herself smiling back at him widely.

'So how are you after your little dunk in the lake?' George asked her.

'I'm fine.' She shrugged, looking sideways at Lee. 'Looking forwards to getting him back though.'

'That's where we come in.' Lee grinned.

'Fred's had a couple of great ideas…' George grinned.

'Excellent.' Amy said happily.

'It's great to meet you at last, by the way.' Lee said as George turned to the stands.

'You too.' She replied, turning slightly pink.

'The guys have been telling me a lot about you.' He was still grinning at her. 'Seems you're quite the mini Snape.'

'Thanks.' She grimaced. 'I've heard you're quite the mini McGonagall too.'

'Ouch.' He grinned. '_Touché_.'

'So where do you guys want to sit?' George said, still scanning the stands behind them.

'I don't mind.'

'Not fussed.'

'I think there's three seats over there.' George said, pointing.

'OK.'

'Whatever.'

'Or how about over there?'

'Sure.'

'Whatever.'

'Come on then.' George said, turning back to them.

Amy jerked her gaze away from Lee's dark brown eyes and turned to George.

'Oh, yeah, sorry.'

'Lets go then.' Lee said, sending another smile her way before turning and following George into the crowd, towards the stands.

Amy sighed with a smile.

'This is going to be interesting…'

* * *

'Where's Fred?' Amy said, glancing round as they took their seats, suddenly realising why everything seemed slightly quieter than usual. 

'With Angelina.' George answered vaguely.

'Over there.' Lee took her arm and pointed. She shivered slightly as his fingers touched her skin but felt a dead weight hit her stomach as she saw Fred's bright orange head sitting about halfway down the stands with a dark, braided head Amy recognised as Angelina Johnson's, the Gryffindor Chaser and her co-rescuer from the lake. She saw he had his arm around her and was whispering something in her ear.

'Are they going out?' She turned away with raised eyebrows.

'Yeah.' Lee said.

'Since about the Yule Ball.' George said, searching the grounds carefully. 'Where the _hell_ is Harry?'

'How come no one told me!' she asked, indignantly.

'We don't tell you everything.' George said, turning to her with an amused look on his face before resuming his search. 'We haven't known you that long…'

Sensing Lee's eyes on her, Amy forced her face into a neutral expression.

'Did they go to the Yule Ball together then?' she asked carefully.

'Yeah.' George said, still peering around.

'So who did you guys go with?' she asked, interestedly.

'Katie Bell.' Lee said promptly. George just grunted.

'What does-' Amy imitated the noise he'd made, '-mean?'

'It means he didn't go with anyone.' Lee grinned.

'Thanks mate.' George said, thumping Lee's shoulder.

'Anytime.'

'How come you-'

'There he is!' George exclaimed suddenly. Amy got the feeling he was more relieved at being able to change the subject, than at Harry's actual appearance.

There was silence for a bit as they watched Harry bend over and get his breath back before being put into position, in line with the other champions, by Ludo Bagman. Amy noticed George and Lee glance at each other with a scowl.

'What-' Amy's question was interrupted by Ludo Bagman's suddenly extremely loud voice.

'Well, all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three, then. One…two…_three_!'

Amy and everyone around her burst into cheers and applause as Cedric, Krum, the pale and beautiful French girl, Fleur Delacour, and Harry entered the lake. They watched, still cheering as the three older students pointed their wands at themselves and muttered furiously. There were gasps as Krum's head suddenly began to morph into that of a shark. He quickly dove into the lake and disappeared under the surface. Both Cedric and Delacour seemed to have tried the same charm ('Bubble-Head Charm!' Lee yelled. 'Genius!'), though Amy thought that Cedric's looked slightly more…solid. Well, as solid as a bubble could be. They both dived into the lake and the crowd turned their attention to Harry who just seemed to be standing, shivering at about waist-height in water. The people around them were muttering and some were giggling at what seemed like Harry's defeat. Amy spotted Madam Maxime, the Beauxbatons headmistress; and Karkaroff, the Durmstrang headmaster, smirking at the judges' table.

'What is he doing!' George said clutching his hair desperately.

'I don't know.' Lee said exasperatedly. 'He seems to-'

'Gillyweed!' Amy yelled, understanding suddenly as she saw Harry clap his hands to the sides of his neck. 'He's eaten Gillyweed!'

'What's Gillyweed?' Lee asked George in a whisper.

'Brilliant Harry!' Amy yelled, oblivious to the pair of them.

'Never heard of it.'

They watched as Harry dived under the silvery grey surface and disappeared behind the other champions. There were sighs all around the stands and slowly the noise level grew as people began chatting.

'I didn't think he was going to do anything.' Amy sighed, slumping back into her seat.

'Join the club.' George shook his head. 'What was that you said he ate?'

'Gillyweed.'

The boys looked at each other.

'Come again?' they said in unison, turning back to her.

Amy sighed and rolled her eyes.

'It's a plant. An aquatic plant.'

'And this Gillyflower-'

'Gillyweed.'

'Right. That.' George nodded. 'It makes you…'

'Grow gills.'

'Woah!' They said, broad grins spreading over their faces.

'Cool!'

'So that means he can-'

'Breathe underwater. Yes.'

'Wicked!

'How long does it last?'

'An hour.'

'But what happens if he's…you know…' Lee trailed off, glancing at a sudden, worried-looking George.

'Lets just hope he gets back within the time limit.' Amy said, turning back to the lake with a grim look on her face.

* * *

'Oh Merlin, where is he…' Amy muttered, scanning the surface of the lake with a worried look. The other champions were all back, standing in a huddle, wrapped in big white blankets and watching the surface of the lake with the rest of the school for a sign of the last champion. 

'Dumbledore's not going to let anybody die…' Amy heard Lee say comfortingly. She turned back to the boys to help Lee comfort poor George who looked like he was about to be sick. As Cedric had burst to the surface with a gasping, shivering Cho, Amy and the rest of the school had realised that the items taken form the champions weren't items at all, but people close to them, which meant that Harry's charge was…

'Ron!' The three friends' heads snapped round and they gasped as they saw Harry clutching a dazed-looking red-head Amy recognised as George's younger brother Ron by the scruff of his neck and a coughing and spluttering white-haired girl Amy didn't know, in the centre of the lake.

'He's OK.' George said, slumping back into his seat with relief. The crowd around them were cheering their heads off as Harry and Ron began to pull the small, pale girl behind them as they slowly swam over to where the judges and a tall red-haired boy Amy didn't recognise where waiting. As they came closer to the bank, the tall boy waded into the lake to get to them. He pulled Ron by the neck of his robes and got him onto the bank where he promptly threw his arms around Ron, who seemed to struggle against him.

Amy smiled and glanced down. Fred seemed as relieved as George that Ron was OK.

'Told you he'd be fine.' Lee grinned at his friend, who was slowly recovering his colour

George muttered something that sounded rather like: 'Mini Hermione…' from between his fingers that were covering his face.

Lee grinned at Amy who found herself grinning back at him.

'Look the judges are going into a huddle…' Amy pointed at the judges table as they put their heads together. They watched silently for a few moments before Lee chuckled.

'Looks like Ron's getting a bit of action over there…'

Amy looked to where Ron had been standing and saw Fleur Delacour swoop in and kiss Ron twice on each cheek. Amy began to laugh as George gaped at them.

'He's- she's-'

'Oh yeah…' Lee laughed.

'His face matches his hair…' Amy laughed helplessly, bending over.

'Ladies and gentleman, we have reached our decision…'

Ludo Bagman's voice boomed around the lake and the crowd immediately silenced, awaiting the points.

'Merchieftainess Murcus has told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the lake, and-'

'Blah blah blah…' Amy muttered. 'Tell us the marks already!'

Lee glanced at her, amused.

'Impatient aren't you?'

'Shh!' Amy said, pretending not to have heard him.

'Hey you know-'

'-Twenty-five points!'

Amy cursed.

'I missed it. It's your fault.'

'Me!' Lee looked innocently at her. 'But I didn't do anything! I just said-'

'You were talking! Why were you talking? I-'

'-Forty-seven points!'

'You did it again!'

'I didn't do anything!'

'Yes you did! You were talking so I missed it! Now I don't know who's got twenty-five or-'

'-Forty points!'

'See!'

'But I wasn't the one-'

'Will you guys shut up?' George said in a low voice. 'They're about to say Harry's points!'

'But who got the other points?'

'I think it was Krum, Fleur-'

'No I think it was Cedric, Krum and F-'

'It was Fleur, Cedric and Krum. Now will you shut up the pair of you?' George said grinding his teeth.

'…score is forty-five points!'

Everyone around them started clapping and cheering.

'How many does that leave him with now then?' Lee asked, cheering and whistling loudly.

Amy was calculating mentally.

'Harry and Cedric are tied for first place!' she yelled suddenly, making George jump. 'Woohoo! Go Harry!'

The boys stared at her as she jumped up and down, screaming and whistling.

'Is she always this enthusiastic?' Lee asked, observing as Amy waved her flag around manically.

'I don't think so.' George frowned at Amy. 'Last time we met face to face she was definitely more normal than this.'

'I _think_ that's a good thing.' Lee grinned.

* * *

'Hey guys I'm going to go check on Fred and Ron OK?' George said standing up as the crowd began to disperse and head back to the castle for lunch. 

'Sure.' Amy smiled.

'See you later.' Lee nodded.

They watched in silence as George scrambled down the stands to his twin where they exchanged a couple of words. Amy saw Fred turn to Angelina, say something and then smile and give her a kiss. She left and both boys jumped down the rest of the benches to where their younger brother and friends were standing, wrapped in huge fluffy white towels.

'So…' Lee said.

'So…' Amy said, suddenly feeling shy.

'D'you want to go in?' Lee said, indicating the castle.

Amy thought for a minute and then smiled as she realised she didn't want to leave just yet.

'Actually I want to stay for a bit. I feel like walking round the lake.'

'Can I join you?' Lee asked.

'Sure.' She smiled.

'We don't want you being ambushed again, do we?.' He grinned at her and she grinned back.

* * *

'So, do you play Quidditch?' Lee asked as they began their stroll. 

'I used to.' Amy said.

'You don't anymore?'

'Nah.' Amy shook her head. 'I tried out for Seeker in my third year, but Cho -Cho Chang, that is- beat me to it.'

'So you just gave it up?' Lee raised his eyebrows.

'I don't know…I just kind of grew out of it I suppose.'

'Nobody grows out of Quidditch.' Lee announced.

'Plus my dad wanted me to focus on my studies more…' Amy admitted with a roll of her eyes.

'Is your dad very strict then?' He asked interestedly.

'Not really _strict_…He's more…I don't know...'

'Serious?'

'Yeah, you know, he used to be a Ravenclaw… Top marks in his O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s. Prefect and Head Boy. Head of the International Magical Law Department at the Ministry…'

'Woah.' Lee eyebrows went up again. 'Big time achiever then?'

'Just a bit.' Amy grinned. 'I think that's what he wants from me.' She said, her grin fading as she looked out onto the lake. 'He was very disappointed when the prefect badge went to my friend Daisy instead of me.'

'But you get on all right?'

'We used to.'

'Used to?' He asked cautiously, noting her suddenly sad expression.

Amy sighed sadly, still looking at the glittering surface of the lake.

'Lately he just ignores me all the time. I haven't received _one_ owl from him this term. And after basically _ordering_ me home for Christmas, he then just pretended I wasn't there…' Amy shut her eyes briefly and grimaced. 'You know? I think you're making me talk too much.'

'Don't worry about it.' He smiled. 'My lips are sealed.'

'Thanks.' She smiled.

'What about your mum?'

'What about her?' she asked, her smile fading slightly.

'Well is she as strict as your dad?' He asked.

Amy smiled slightly.

'No. She's amazing.' Or was, she thought.

'No.' she thought firmly, feeling her eyes begin to well up. 'You are not going to cry, Cassidy…Not now…'

'That's good.' She heard him say. She closed her eyes and smiled slightly.

'Yeah. What about you?' she asked, changing the subject

'What about me?' he grinned. 'I promise you I'm not a prefect either.'

'What's your family like?' Amy smiled, turning back to him.

'Well I live with my mum and dad in London. Mum's Jamaican –a Muggle- and Dad's English and a wizard. I've got a little sister called Georgia and-'

'How old is she?' Amy interrupted.

'Six. She's a little terror.' He said shaking his head.

'Haven't you heard?' Amy grinned. 'Little kids are supposed to be terrors. Otherwise, they don't as kids.'

'I wasn't ever a terror! I-'

'Yeah, I bet you weren't.' Amy laughed.

'OK, well maybe I was.' He grinned. 'But I bet anything you want that you weren't.'

'Was too.'

'Nope. Don't believe it.'

'I used to pretend to my cousins that Cockroach Cluster was actually chocolate and peanuts.'

'So? We've all done that. Fred still does.'

'Yeah well we all know Fred's actually still kid-like.' Amy laughed. Lee grinned, liking the sound of her laugh.

'What else? 'Cause if that's all you got Cassidy, you don't count as a kid.'

'I used to turn my babysitter's hair purple.'

'That's not-'

'She was a Muggle.' Amy grinned. 'Dad had to obliterate her memory.'

'Still doesn't count. Now do you have anyth-'

'Hey, look. We're back.' Amy said. Lee looked round and saw that she was right. They were indeed back at the stands, which were already being Vanished by McGonagall.

'You hungry?' Lee asked as they stood by the path leading up to Hogwarts.

'Actually I am.' She grinned. 'Walking always makes me hungry.'

'Same here.' Lee grinned back at her.

She felt her mind go blank, and couldn't think of anything to say. They stood there for a few minutes, just looking at each other. She couldn't tell what her own expression was but he was smiling at her. She felt another little squiggle in her stomach as they continued just standing there.

'Um…Maybe we should go in…' she heard herself say.

'**No! Damn it! You don't want to go in! What are you _saying_!**'

'Oh Merlin…' Amy thought with an inward groan. 'Not you again.'

'**Yup. Me. Now what are you _doing_?!**'

'Um, yeah.' Lee said, breaking their eye contact. 'Yeah we should probably…' he trailed off and turned and led the way up the path.

'**See! Now he thinks you don't want to be with him! Go after him!**'

'Hey Lee!' Amy called running after him. 'Wait for me!'

'Oh, sorry.' He said, turning back to her. They walked up the path in silence.

'**Tell him you enjoyed spending time with him!**'

'No!' Amy thought inwardly. 'I barely know him!'

'**You know you like him!**'

'I do not _like_ him!'

'**Do** **too! **

'Do not!'

'**Do too! Just say it!**'

'I enjoyed talking to you Lee.' She said out loud as they went inside.

'Likewise.' He grinned at her. 'We should do it again sometime.'

'**Ha! Yes! I rule!**'

'Shut up!'

'Sorry?' Lee looked alarmed.

'**Hehe…Now you look dumb…**'

'Sorry…' she turned red. 'I didn't mean to say that out loud.'

He laughed.

'You're one very special witch Cassidy.'

'Thanks… I think.' She said, frowning slightly.

'Don't worry.' He grinned down at her as they reached the doors to the Great Hall. 'That was definitely a compliment.'

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE:** I am soooo sorry!! This has taken me forever to get up... First I had writers block, then my computer busted, then the other computer busted, then we got it fixed but had no internet, then I had writers block again, then I started school and now _finally_ I can post... Load of lame excuses but there you have it. I promise I'll _try_ not to take so long next time! 

This chapter hasn't been one of my favourite to write, I didn't like doing the second task. But the story's beginning to go where I need it to, so it's OK. This is actually the second version of the same chapter. I'd originally planned for Amy to fight with Daisy as well... But I changed my mind. I thought two separate fights with friends would just make my life way too complicated. Oh and Amy's of course P

Thank you so much to my reviewers! I love you guys!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing that isn't mine.

_**REVIEW!!!**_ (please??)


	7. Ch7: Getting to Know You

**CHAPTER 7: Getting to Know You**

'Daisy! Hey Daisy!' Amy waved manically at her friend, who was obviously short of sight and hearing. 'Oi, Brocklehurst!' Finally, the mass of chestnut curls turned round.

'Amy!' Daisy grinned. 'Hi.'

'You- You are-' Amy panted, skidding to a halt next to her friend. 'The deaf- the deafest- person I have- I've _ever_- met…'

'Oh.' Daisy frowned. 'Sorry. You OK?' she asked, observing Amy who was bent over double trying to catch her breath.

'I just-' Amy gasped. 'Just need- breathe…' Daisy waited with a grin until her friend had recuperated.

'I hate running.' Amy announced, straightening up again, rubbing her chest.

'Glad to hear it.' Daisy grinned as they began walking again. 'Did you have a good morning, reading?'

'Erm… Actually-' Amy began sheepishly. 'I did go to the task in the end.'

'Oh.' Daisy frowned. 'I didn't see you.'

'Well I tried looking for you guys but I couldn't find you…' Amy fibbed guiltily. 'So I sat with George Weasley and Lee Jordan.'

'Oh.' Daisy said again. 'You're getting pretty friendly with them.'

'Oh well…you know.' Amy lowered her eyes to the floor. 'I just talk to them sometimes because of the books and the library…' She hadn't told Daisy about the offer she'd accepted from them yet. She meant to do it soon though.

'Oh yeah.' Daisy nodded. 'I meant to ask you. How's that going?'

'Fine…' Amy said vaguely. 'I met Lee this morning at the task.' She said, hurriedly moving the subject on.

'What's he like?' Daisy asked, noticing the small smile on Amy's face.

'He's nice.' Amy grinned.

'Oh?' Daisy raised her eyebrows. 'Just nice?'

'OK,' Amy confessed, 'actually he's great. I really liked him. We went for a walk together by the lake afterwards…' she grinned.

'And?' Daisy asked interestedly.

'Nothing happened! Amy laughed. 'We just talked. I liked him a lot.'

'Oh this is great!' Daisy beamed at her friend. 'Just wait until Bethany finds-'

'Oh no.' Amy shook her head. 'Not going to work Daisy. I am _not_ making up with Bethany just to tell her about some guy.'

'But you guys just need to apolo-'

'No.' Amy said firmly. 'She was the one who didn't listen to me so why should I be the one to apologise?'

Daisy sighed.

'You two are possibly the most stubborn people I have ever met.'

'I am _not_ stubborn!'

'Argumentative as well.'

'I am _not_!'

Daisy raised her eyebrows and sighed.

'Fine, I won't mention it again, but this is starting to get completely ridiculous.'

Amy shrugged. 'Don't care.'

'Childish too.' Daisy muttered.

'I am _not_!'

* * *

_Amy,_

_You up for some researching and sorting out stuff this afternoon?_

_Will meet you in the Entrance Hall at three o'clock._

* * *

Amy checked the note she'd received form George that morning and glanced round the Entrance Hall again, frowning. It was just past three on Saturday afternoon and she couldn't see Fred, George or Lee anywhere. 

'Right.' Amy thought. 'A watch. That's what I'm getting them for their birthday. Maybe then they'll be on-'

'Amy!'

She swung round and grinned, recognising Lee's signature dreadlocks approaching her from across the Hall.

'Hi.' He stopped in front of her and grinned.

'Hey.' She said with a smile.

'You ready?'

'Yeah.' Amy nodded. 'Where are we going?'

'Kitchens.'

'I thought students couldn't get into the kitchens?' Amy said confused, feeling her stomach begin to squirm –in a nice way- as he took her hand and led her over to the marble staircase.

'You can if you know where to go.' He grinned at her.

* * *

'So I tickle the pear and it turns into a door?' Amy said sceptically looking at the painting of a bowl of fruit in front of her. 

'Yep.' Lee grinned. 'Don't you trust me?'

'Canary creams.' Amy crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

'OK, good point…' He conceded with another grin. 'I'll do it then.'

He reached forward and tickled the pear with one finger. Amy jumped as it giggled and turned into a door handle.

'How do you guys _know_ these things…' she asked wonderingly.

'We're clever.' He smiled cheekily at her and Amy rolled her eyes.

'You coming?' Lee held open the door.

She grinned at him.

'Definitely.'

* * *

'Merlin.' 

'It is pretty incredible the first time you come in here.' Lee agreed, waving at several house-elves who beamed and waved back happily. 'But you get used to it.'

'It- it's so big!'

'Yeah it is a bit.' Lee grinned at her. Amy stared around in awe, taking in the size of the enormous room, the height of the ceiling that –to a witch of only 5'1- was extremely high, the brilliant sparkle of the brass pots and pans hanging around the walls…How many house-elves were there? Fifty? A hundred? A thousand? Amy couldn't tell. They were all scurrying around in their toga-tied tea towels, stirring here, adding spices and herbs there… They all seemed very friendly as well, smiling and bowing in their direction when they noticed them. They reminded her of Grandmother Ophelia's house-elf, Poppy, a sweet little thing who-

'Amy? Hello? Earth to Planet Amy…'

'What?' Amy started. 'Sorry. I wasn't listening. What'd you say?'

'Ouch.' Lee said pretending to stab his heart with a dramatic gesture. 'That hurt.'

'Sorry.' Amy laughed. 'I was in my own world. What did you say?'

'George is waiting by the fire.'

'Just George?'

'Yeah. Fred's with Angelina.' Lee said. 'That bother you?'

'No.' Amy said, noticing the not-so-casual glance in her direction. 'But doesn't it bother you guys that you always do all the work?'

'Not really ' Lee shook his head. 'He'll be doing his part once the stuff's ready. George told you he does the publicity and stuff right?'

'Yeah.' Amy nodded. 'Labels, packaging and names or something right?'

'Right.' He nodded. 'Come on, George'll be wondering where we've got to.'

He led the way –without holding her hand this time though, Amy noticed ruefully- past four long tables Amy realised belatedly were the house tables, past house-elves, stoves and pans, over to the other side of the room where Amy could see a large brick fireplace, empty and unlit. Near this, in a corner, someone had set up a medium sized round wooden table and three chairs. The former was scattered with parchment, quills and books, and, sat on one of the chairs, was a ginger-haired sixteen year-old boy reading a book and occasionally making notes on a piece of parchment with his quill.

'Hey Weasley!' Lee said as they drew closer. 'Look what I found wandering around the Entrance Hall…'

George turned round and grinned.

'Hi Amy.' He said, indicating one of the chairs. 'Come sit down.'

'Miss Amy! What is –_hic_- you doing here!'

Amy looked to the right, where the squeaky female voice had come from, and started with surprise.

'Winky? What are _you_ doing here?'

'Oh Miss Cassidy!' The house-elf burst into tears. She was clutching a bottle of butterbeer, which Amy eyed apprehensively: she knew that stuff wasn't good for house-elves in large amounts.

'How much of that have you had Winky?'

'Amy?' Lee said looking bemused. 'Erm…who's this?'

'Guys this is Winky, Winky these are my friends Lee Jordan and George Weasley.'

'Weasley -_hic_?' Winky lifted her head and blinked her large brown eyes at them. 'You is master's –_hic_- assistant Weasley?'

'Erm…I don't think so.' George said slightly nervously. 'Who's your master?'

'Winky is Mr Crouch's house-elf.' Amy explained as Winky sipped from the almost empty bottle again, her eyes filling up with tears.

'_You're_ Crouch's house-elf?' George exclaimed.

'I thought she got dismissed.' Lee said with a frown.

'Master!' Winky howled suddenly.

Amy looked bemused.

'Erm… I seemed to have missed half the story here…'

'Didn't you hear about the Quidditch World Cup this summer?' Lee asked.

'I heard Death Eaters attacked some Muggles…and that someone sent the Dark Mark into the sky…'

'That's it?'

'I was in France for the whole month of August…and then I came straight here.' Amy explained. 'Plus I sort of had other things on my mind…' she muttered. The boys didn't hear her last comment over the noise Winky was making.

'Well they found this house-elf -you called her Winky right?' Amy nodded at George's question and he continued. 'They found her in the middle of the woods clutching the wand that had made the Dark Mark.'

'So Crouch sacked her.' Lee supplied. Winky's howls grew –if it was possible- even louder at that.

'But what is she doing here?' Amy was still confused.

'Dunno.' Lee shrugged. 'Maybe-'

'Winky!' Another house-elf, male this time skidded to a halt next to the group dressed in a strange arrangement of socks, shorts that were so long they passed as trousers on him, and a tea cosy decorated with pins and badges. Amy sighed.

'This is just getting stranger and stranger…'

'Winky! I is telling you not to drink so much butterbeer!' The new arrival reprimanded. 'You is going to-'

'Dobby is not Winky's master!' she shrieked. The rest of the house-elves had by now stopped working and were staring at the hysterical elf. 'Only master is telling Winky what to do!'

'But Winky, you is going to get ill!'

'I deserves to be –_hic_- ill!' she shrieked again. 'Winky is being –_hic_- sacked by master…oh my poor master…' she wept.

'Dumbledore is our master now.' Dobby said, sounding proud. 'Dumbledore is-'

'Poor, -_hic_- poor master…All –_hic_- alone…' Winky continued, not hearing Dobby. 'Poor master…poor –_hic_- master…poor master…poor…-_hic_-...' she repeated again and again, her voice getting weaker each time, until she suddenly collapsed in the middle of the floor.

'Winky!' Amy rushed to her side.

'Don't worry miss.' Dobby sighed. 'I is telling Winky that too much drink is bad for her…but she is not listening…'

'But is she OK?'

'I is taking her to sleep somewhere and she will be OK soon.' Dobby smiled up at her. 'I is trying to tell her Dumbledore is our new master but she is not wanting new master.' He sighed again.

'Thank you.' Amy nodded. 'What's your name again?'

'I is Dobby miss.' The little house-elf beamed at her. Suddenly noticing the reproving glances of the house-elves around them he bowed low and picked up Winky's small body with difficulties. 'I is taking Winky to rest now! Goodbye miss and masters!' And with that he staggered over to the door with her. The house-elves scurrying around looked on with disapproval but didn't say anything, shaking their heads as they got back to work.

'That has to be one of the weirdest things I have ever seen in my life.' Lee stated, shaking his head as he sat down in one of the chairs round the table.

'Poor Winky…' Amy sighed, collapsing into the other one.

'It is a bit sad.' George said. 'But alcohol is never the solution…Even if it is only butterbeer.'

'I just feel sorry for her.' Amy shook her head. 'I know how much she idolised Crouch…'

'How do you know her?' Lee asked curiously.

'My dad's the Head of the International Magical Law Department at the Ministry, he has a lot of dealings with the Head for the Department of International Magical Cooperation.' Amy explained. 'So sometimes when I was a little girl and he had to go to Crouch's house to go over something he'd take me with him to give my mum a break. I haven't been since his son left home though…'

'Crouch's son…' Lee scrunched up his nose. 'If he's anything like his dad bet he wasn't much fun to hang out with…He seemed like a very boring guy when he was here in November…'

'Oh yeah, he was judging the first task wasn't he?' Amy said, suddenly remembering. 'I'd forgotten. He wasn't at the task on Wednesday though, was he?'

'Nope.' George shook his head. 'Apparently he's ill or something.'

'Wasn't at the Yule Ball either.' Lee put in.

'That's why Percy was there instead.'

'Who's Percy?' Amy was very confused now.

'My older brother.' George explained. 'Winky mentioned him. Crouch's assistant.'

'Oh yeah…'

'Do you think she really did do the Dark Mark?' Lee asked, lowering his voice.

'No.' Amy shook her head. 'No way.'

'She did have the wand though.'

'So?' Amy frowned. 'Ever heard of planting?'

'Sure.' Lee nodded. 'That's that thing with the earth and the seeds and-'

'Idiot.' Amy grinned, punching him lightly.

'Come on.' George said. 'We should get started.'

'Right,' Amy nodded. 'What are we doing?'

'Well before you guys came in I was just checking some references we might need.' George indicated the open book in front of him. 'But now you're here, Lee can do that and I'll-'

'Can't.' Lee said, taking his wand out of his pocket. 'I need to re-check the method on that hurling hex…'

'Can't you do that later?'

'Nope.'

'OK, fine.' George sighed. 'I'll get Fred to do it if he turns up later. Right now, I want to go over what you've got so far, Amy, and see what might be useful for you from our stuff.'

'Sounds good to me.' Amy nodded, taking a bundle of parchment out of her bag and spreading it out in front of her. 'Where do you want to start?'

* * *

'I'm hungry.' Lee announced suddenly. 

'It's nearly seven.' Amy said, raising her eyebrows in surprise as she checked her watch.

'Time flies…' Lee grinned at her.

'Yeah, I'm hungry as well.' George interjected.

'Erm…excuse me.' Amy said to a passing house-elf.

'Yes miss?' He –she knew it was a he by the less squeaky voice- said politely.

'Could you possibly find us some food, please? Anything will do…'

'Of course miss.' The house-elf beamed. He turned and spoke to a few elves who nodded and hurried off. A few seconds later they were back, clutching a tray piled high with sandwiches, cold sausages, small jam and custard tarts and three bottles of butterbeer.

'Wow.' Amy said, her eyes widening as they carefully set the tray down on the table.

'This looks great.' Lee said, rubbing his hands together.

'Thanks.' Amy grinned at them.

'Anytime miss.' They chorused before hurrying off back to work.

'I love the service here…' George sighed happily, popping the top off a bottle of butterbeer.

'Me too.' Amy agreed, helping herself to a sausage.

'Mphree.' Lee said through a mouthful of cheese sandwich. There was silence for a few minutes as they ate steadily.

'Hey.' George swallowed a whole sausage.

'You pig.' Amy giggled. 'How did you fit that in your mouth?'

'Easily.' He grinned. 'I've had practise.'

'What were you going to say?' Amy said, rolling her eyes.

'I want to propose a toast.'

'To what?' Amy said, selecting a jam tart and nibbling on it.

'To our new partner.' He grinned, holding up his bottle.

'Hear hear!' Lee said, lifting his own.

'Oh well, if it's to me…' She grinned and held up her bottle. They all clinked glasses and then drank.

'To Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes!'

'To the old partners!' Amy said, grinning.

'To us!' Lee and George said in unison. They all drank and a few minutes later they were all sitting back in silence, full to the bursting and comfortably warm.

'That was maybe the best food I've ever eaten.' Amy said sleepily.

'Agreed…'

'Agreed…'

'Why is it when you're hungry, food tastes even better?' Amy wondered half-consciously.

'Dunno...'

'No idea…'

'You know-'

'Amy?'

'Yeah?'

'You talk too much…'

* * *

'Amy…' 

'Mnf…'

'Amy.'

'Nyumph…'

'Amy!'

'Go away…' She turned over and suddenly felt herself hit the hard cold floor with a thud. 'Ouch!'

She looked up to find herself looking up into a pair of dark brown eyes, just inches from her face.

'Oh!' she jumped back and banged her head on the edge of the table. 'Ow!'

'Sorry.' Lee winced. 'I've been trying to wake you up for the past five minutes…You OK?' he sounded concerned as Amy stood up, rubbing her head.

'Yeah I'm fine…Sorry about that.' She smiled awkwardly.

'No problem.' He smiled warmly at her again, and Amy felt her insides squirm pleasurably again. 'You sure you're OK Amy?' George asked. She turned and noticed him watching them from the other side of the table.

'Yeah I'll be fine.' She said, slightly embarrassed. 'I've had worse. How long have we been asleep?' She asked with a frown, trying to see her watch in the dim light.

'It's about one o'clock we think.' George stated.

'Oh dear…' Amy mumbled.

'You'd think the house-elves could have woken us up, wouldn't you.' Lee said ruefully.

'Yeah…' Amy sighed. 'My friend is going to kill me…'

'We should get going…' George said.

The others nodded and began collecting up their things. Soon they were quickly and quietly hurrying up the corridor to the Hall. After checking the coast was clear, George led them over to a portrait of a short old man with a thick moustache, who was –thankfully- asleep and after pressing on it hard, he motioned them through. Lee quickly passed through the opening and Amy slipped inside after him, to find herself in a tiny square room of about a metre across. Lee was pressed against the back wall and, as George pushed his way in behind her, Amy found herself squeezed in between them.

'Sorry about the space guys.' George whispered. 'Normally it's only me and Fred using this thing.'

'No problem.' Amy breathed, thanking Merlin for the cover of darkness on her red cheeks.

'No problem at all…' Lee murmured. Amy's insides tingled again as she felt his warm breath on her hair. She tried concentrating on something else but in the small, dark space the only thing she could feel was his hard chest pressed against her back and all she could smell was his spicy, tangy scent.

'We're here.' George whispered. Amy started; she had almost forgotten he was there.

'Right.' She murmured. She felt George move around in front of her and suddenly he disappeared forwards, exiting through large hole. Amy blinked as he turned and offered her his hand. She took it and carefully stepped out into, what she realised, was a corridor on the sixth floor.

'Wicked.' She said, shaking her head at the portrait. 'It's like a lift right?'

'A what?' George frowned.

'Never mind.' She grinned as Lee stepped out of the hole behind them. 'Where do we go now?'

'You go up a small staircase behind that portrait there and you'll be at the spiral staircase to your tower.'

'What about you guys?'

'We've got another passage to go through yet.' Lee grinned at her.

'And you're sure I won't get caught?' Amy said, slightly worried.

'Nope.' George grinned mischievously. 'But what's life without a little risk?'

'Thanks...' Amy muttered. 'I'll remember that when I'm in detention...'

'You won't get caught Amy.' Lee said with a smile. 'Trust us.'

'Remember what I said before about the Canary Creams?'

'No.' George frowned, confused.

'Yes.' Lee grinned. 'OK. Point taken. But it's the only way up. Unless you want to try the main staircase to the seventh floor but Filch is normally-'

'I'll try it your way.' Amy said quickly.

Lee laughed quietly.

'Good to hear it.'

'See you tomorrow guys.' Amy whispered as she turned to the right and pulled at the corner of the indicated portrait.

'Night Amy.' Lee whispered back.

* * *

'OK. What is going on with you and Amy?' George demanded as soon as Amy was in the portrait and out of earshot. 'You two have been flirting and looking at each all afternoon. What's up?' 

'Nothing.' Lee shrugged. George snorted at that. 'It's true.' Lee insisted. 'There's nothing going on between us...yet.'

'Yet?' George raised his eyebrows.

'I like her.' Lee admitted. 'She's easy to talk to. Plus she's pretty, which is never a bad thing...'

'Course it isn't.' George rolled his eyes and grinned. 'So are you going to ask her to Hogsmeade next weekend?'

'I dunno...' Lee said. 'D'you think she'd say yes if I asked her?'

'Don't know if you don't try.' George shrugged. 'But from the way she was looking at you when you woke her up... I'd say you're in with a chance.'

'You know what?' Lee grinned. 'I think I might just do it.'

* * *

'Amy!' Daisy whispered. 'Where've you been?' 

'Oh.' Amy winced. 'Sorry Daisy. I was trying not to wake you.'

'I was waiting for you anyway.' she shrugged. 'What have you been _doing_?'

'I'll explain in a minute.' Amy said, grabbing her pyjamas. 'Let me just change and stuff and I'll be right there...'

She quickly changed into her pyjamas and brushed her teeth before joining Daisy on the bed. She drew the hangings around them and cast a silencing spell, to make sure no unseen ears could hear them. She turned back to her friend and hesitated. The time had come to tell Daisy what had been happening in the past few weeks.

'OK. I'm gong to tell you a secret but promise you won't tell anyone.'

'Promise.'

'Fred and George asked me to be a partner of their joke business.'

'_What_!' Daisy's eyes widened.

'They said they had a few problems making their merchandise and could I help them...'

'But Amy, what about-'

'My dad? Yeah I know. But I figured he's been ignoring me so efficiently for the past few months that he'll probably never notice a thing.'

'So...you said yes then?'

'Yeah.' Amy said. Then, deciding that she might as well be totally honest, 'well, actually, they asked me a few weeks ago. On my birthday. That's why I was so late back that night. We got cornered by Filch and had to wait for him to leave.'

'OK.' Daisy nodded slowly, comprehension dawning. 'So is that where you've been disappearing off to these past few weeks?'

Amy nodded.

'They asked me to help them with the Potions part of their merchandise and I've been researching some stuff to help me out.'

'If they needed help with Potions it makes sense they'd ask you.' Daisy nodded again. 'So where were you tonight?'

'I was researching with George...and Lee.' Amy cursed inwardly as she felt herself turn slightly pink. She'd turned redder today than she had in probably two years... 'We all kind of fell asleep and didn't wake up till about half an hour ago.'

'With Lee?' Daisy raised an eyebrow with interest.

'Yeah.' Amy grinned involuntary.

'And?'

'I really like him Daisy…'

'Do you think he feels the same way?'

'I don't know...' Amy sighed. She quickly outlined what had happened in the Hall, Kitchen and then in the small secret passageway.

'What do you think?' She asked finally.

'It sounds like he definitely feels something for you...' Daisy said thoughtfully. 'Maybe he'll ask you to Hogsmeade next week.'

'I don't know...' Amy bit her lip, a small smile playing around her lips.

'He is pretty good-looking.' Daisy said raising an eyebrow at Amy after a short silence.

'Hey! Hands off!' Amy said jokingly. 'I saw him first!'

Daisy laughed.

'Don't worry, you know me.' She smiled slightly. 'Not interested in relationships.'

'You still don't like anyone?' Amy asked fidgeting as her leg started to get cramp.

'Nope.' Daisy said, shaking her head. 'And I'm not bothered. I need to concentrate on my O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s anyway if I'm going to be a Healer…'

'It will come…' Amy grinned. 'You'll see… One day you'll be hit and then you'll forget _all_ about your O.W.L.s…'

'Yeah I don't think so…' Daisy laughed.

* * *

'Hey Fred.' George poked his brother. It was Tuesday afternoon and the twins were on their way to Transfiguration after Potions. 'What's up? You've been off all morning.' 

Fred sighed

'I don't know...'

'What's wrong?'

Fred was silent for a few moments.

'I'm thinking of finishing with Angelina.' He admitted finally.

'Whoa.' George raised his eyebrows. 'How come?'

'Dunno...' Fred shrugged. 'It's just not the same anymore, you know?'

'Do you like someone else?'

'No!' Fred answered a bit too quickly. 'It's just...I don't know. I just don't feel the same about her anymore...She's always bossing me around all the time as well. Telling me not to do this and to do that better...'

'So you're going to finish it?' George asked.

'Yeah.' Fred nodded.

'When are you going to do it?'

'Tonight I think.' Fred sighed again.

'What are you going to say to her?'

'I don't know!' Fred frowned slightly. 'Any ideas?'

'It's not you it's me?' George suggested. 'We can still be friends?'

'She'd probably castrate me if I said that to her...'

'Well I don't know.' George shrugged. 'I've never broken up with anyone.'

'Yeah well neither have I!'

'Why don't you ask Lee?' George said as they entered the Transfiguration classroom and took their seats. He lowered his voice. 'You know he was the one who broke it off with that Hufflepuff girl in our third year...'

'Yeah but that was different.' Fred said quietly, checking to see no one was listening. 'He just wanted to get off with her and then didn't know how to get rid of her.'

'She was pretty irritating...' George remembered.

'Yeah but I'd like to stay friends with Angelina...' Fred muttered. 'I don't think she'd be too happy if I told her I'd decided to be celibate the rest of my life...'

'OK I get your point... How about Amy?'

'What about her?'

'Well she's a girl.'

'Nicely spotted.'

'I mean she might be able to tell you the best way of breaking it off with someone...' George said quietly as McGonagall entered the classroom.

'I'll think about it.' Fred muttered as McGonagall started the class.

* * *

'There she is.' George nudged his brother as they descended the marble staircase to the Hall. 

'I can't see her...' Fred squinted.

'In the corner over there with- ah.'

'I see her.' Fred nodded. 'Come on.'

George grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

'Wait a minute.'

'Why?' Fred was mystified.

'She's talking to Lee.'

'So?' Fred was still confused. 'Even better. I can get both their opinions...'

'No.' George shook his head. 'I think he's asking her to Hogsmeade.'

'What!' Fred exclaimed, his eyebrows shooting up. 'Lee's asking Amy to Hogsmeade? Since when!'

'Shh!' George shushed his brother as he watched the couple. Fred shook his head and turned to the pair in time to see Amy smile, blush slightly and nod. Lee in turn grinned, said something and then left, going into the Great Hall for lunch.

'I knew she'd say yes.' George said triumphantly.

'I'm lost.' Fred shook his head again. 'Lee fancies Amy?'

'And Amy fancies Lee.' George grinned. 'I figured it out on Saturday when we researched in the kitchen together.'

'Oh.'

'Come on.' George motioned to his brother. 'She's on her own now. You can ask her about-'

'No.' Fred said a bit too quickly. 'I mean, no. It's fine. I've figured out how to do it.'

George shrugged.

'OK. Lets go eat then. I'm hungry...'

* * *

'Lee asked me to Hogsmeade this weekend!' Amy said in a low excited voice to Daisy. 

'Amy that's fantastic!' Daisy said enthusiastically. 'When did he ask you?'

'Just now!'

'Oh this is great Amy!'

'I know! I can't wait!'

'How did he ask you?' Daisy asked, attacking a piece of shepherd's pie, her eyes on Amy.

'Well he just came over to me and-'

'Excuse me.' An icy voice said coldly. 'Some of us are trying to eat. We don't need to hear your about your cutey-pie love-life...'

'Well excuse me Young.' Amy replied equally as coldly. 'But I don't seem to remember actually talking to you, so do us all a favour and stick your large over-sized nose out of my business.'

'With pleasure.' Bethany stood up and left the Hall. Daisy shut her eyes and sighed.

'Amy...'

'I can't stand her.' Amy said matter-of-factedly.

'But-'

'No.'

'But if-'

'No.' Amy stood up as well. 'See you in class.'

Daisy sighed and shut her eyes, rubbing her temples.

'We have to get them talking to each other again.'

Daisy opened her eyes and looked up. Kia and Jacob were sitting in front of her and Eddie had moved over to sit next to her.

'I know.' she sighed. 'But it's going to be impossible! You saw what-'

'They'll have to forgive each other some-'

'I'm with Daisy.' Kia interrupted Eddie. 'Trust us. It's going to be almost impossible...'

'Almost.' Jacob smiled.

'Jacob...' Daisy said tiredly. 'This isn't a film or TV programme. We can't just lock them in a cupboard together and expect them to sort it out between themselves...'

'Why not?' Eddie asked.

'Because, Eddie.' Kia rolled her eyes. 'It never works in real life.'

'Well have you got any better ideas?' He retorted.

'Hmmm...' Jacob said thoughtfully.

* * *

'What do you think?' Amy said nervously, giving Daisy a twirl. 'OK?' 

'You look great Amy.' Daisy smiled at her friend. They were alone in the dorm, the others having already left.

'D'you think?' Amy asked, looking at herself critically in the mirror again. She was wearing a simple pair of blue jeans and a white long-sleeved T-shirt with a green zip-up hooded sweater. She had a blue woolly hat on over her black curls and a thin silver chain with a small daisy hanging off it, that Daisy had given her for luck, round her neck.

'You'll need you cloak as well.' Daisy handed it to her. 'It's probably cold out there.'

'Yeah, thanks.' Amy quickly flung it round her. 'You sure you don't want to come?' she asked as she tied the fastenings.

'No.' Daisy shook her head as she handed Amy her moneybag. 'I've got to go to the prefect meeting and then I'll do some revising...I'll be fine.' She smiled at her friend.

'I really need to do some revising as well actually.' Amy said, tucking the money into her small khaki satchel.

'Sure you don't want to join me today?' Daisy asked with a grin.

'Thanks but I'll pass.' Amy grinned back. 'Wish me luck!'

* * *

'So.' Amy said as she and Lee left the mild, sunny grounds. 'What are we doing today?' 

'I thought we might just wander around for a bit. Get to know each other better, and then maybe get a drink seeing as we just had lunch.' He replied with a grin. 'That OK?'

'Sounds good to me.' Amy nodded. 'So what do you want to know?'

'OK.' Lee said with a thoughtful grin. 'Erm...What's your favourite colour?'

Amy laughed.

'Blue.'

'House colours?'

'Of course.' she smiled. Plus it was the colour of my mother's eyes, she added silently.

'OK. Very important question.' Lee said seriously. 'Favourite Quidditch team?'

'Bournemouth Beetles.'

'You're kidding.'

'Nope.' Amy shook her head. 'They're my local team.'

'You can't be serious!'

'Why shouldn't I be?'

'But they're rubbish!'

'They're not!'

'Oh come on! _Everyone_ knows they're rubbish! They're what? Thirtieth in the-'

'Twenty-ninth actually.'

'And that's so much better…'

'Yes actually.' She retorted.

'But-'

'Next question.' She said firmly.

Lee sighed.

'Fine. But this isn't over. Favourite animal?'

'Cat.'

'You like cats?' Lee tilted his head with interest. 'Have you got one?'

'Yeah.' Amy nodded with a smile. 'Figaro. My mum and I named him after the cat in a film.'

'What's he look like?'

'Black and white with a black patch over his right ear, his left eye and the right side of his back. He's got three black feet too.'

'Sounds cute.' He commented with a grin.

'I'll introduce you some time.' she smiled.

'Excellent.' He grinned. 'You can meet my tarantula too some time.'

'Tarantula?' Amy raised her eyebrows. 'You've got a tarantula?'

'A huge hairy one.' He nodded. 'I brought him to school one year but I had to send him back after about a week because my dorm-mate was scared.' He rolled his eyes. 'Wimp.'

Amy laughed.

'Sounds cool.'

'Seriously?' Lee asked, surprised.

'Yeah.' Amy nodded. 'I mean, how many people have huge hairy tarantulas for pets, right?'

'I thought most girls were terrified of spiders.' Lee said with a grin.

'I'm not most girls.' She grinned back.

'No you're not...' he smiled down at her.

Amy smiled slightly and pulled her cloak off, folding it up and tucking it into her bag as they entered the village. It was getting quite warm and several people around them were imitating her.

'Next question.'

'Right.' He thought for a few moments. 'Favourite film?'

'Ooh...erm..._The Little Mermaid_.'

'Seriously?' Lee laughed.

'It's my favourite fairy story. Plus I love her hair.' Amy grinned. 'I liked _The Nightmare Before Christmas _as well...And _Breakfast at Tiffany's_. Classic.'

'I liked _Nightmare Before Christmas_.' He nodded. 'Skeleton Jack was cool.'

'Yeah.' Amy laughed. 'How about you?'

'_The Godfather_.'

'Just that one?' She asked.

'And _Wallace and Gromit in the Wrong Trousers_.' He admitted with a grin. 'But don't tell anyone.'

'Why not?' She laughed. 'It's a good film.'

'OK, my turn to change the subject now.' He grinned and stopped walking. 'Favourite drink?'

'Butterbeer.' She said automatically. 'And hot chocolate when I'm in the muggle world. You?'

'Firewhisky.' He grinned. Amy rolled her eyes and he laughed. 'Actually I prefer butterbeer.' He indicated the Three Broomsticks pub next to them. 'D'you fancy going in.'

'Sounds good.' She nodded. He held open the door and grinned.

'Madame...'

'Why thank you...' she replied in a posh voice, grinning. She went through and sighed as the heat of the warm, cosy room engulfed her.

'Busy isn't it?' Lee remarked. 'Come on.'

He took her hand and smiled at her before leading the way over to the bar. Amy felt herself turn slightly pink as several people stared at them when they went past. Once they'd ordered their drinks, they found a small, quiet-ish table in a corner and sat down.

'OK.' Lee said, setting the large foaming tankards carefully on the table. 'Your turn.'

'Hmmm...' Amy said thoughtfully, taking a sip of her drink. 'OK. My turn to ask an important question. Favourite book?'

'Oh dear...' Lee grinned and shook his head. You want me to try and remember the name of something I've read?'

'Yes.' Amy laughed.

'OK, OK...' He thought for a few moments. '_Quidditch Through the Ages._'

'No!' Amy laughed, covering her face with her hands.

'Yep.' He grinned. 'Great book. Also _Commentators Through the Ages_.'

'You strange, strange person...' She shook her head.

'Hey!' He laughed. 'I had to learn my excellent commentating skills from somewhere...'

'Excellent?' She raised an eyebrow. 'Weren't you the person who swore halfway through the-'

'Yeah, yeah...' Lee grinned. 'How about you? Your favourite book, I mean.'

'_Pride and Prejudice_.' She answered automatically. 'And _Jane Eyre_. And _Peter Pan_. And _Alice in Wonderland_. Oh and the _Chronicles of Narnia_ series. Oh and _Ballet Shoes_!'

Lee was laughing and shaking his head.

'Oh and I nearly forgot the _What Katy Did_ series.'

'And _I'm_ the strange one?' He asked, still laughing.

'Hey!' She said, joining in the laughter. 'They're great books!'

'If you say so…'

'OK, my turn.' He said, taking a swallow of butterbeer. 'Favourite food?'

There was a slight pause.

'My mum's Christmas dinner.' She lowered her eyes and smiled. 'What about you?'

'Easy.' He grinned again. 'My mum's Jamaican chicken and pineapple curry.'

'That sounds good.' She smiled, taking a sip of her drink.

'It is.' He nodded.

'OK…' Amy leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table. 'What's your favourite season?'

'Season?' He thought for a minute and then grinned. 'The Quidditch one.'

Amy rolled her eyes and laughed.

'OK, autumn.' He grinned.

'Why?' She asked, curious.

'I dunno...' He shrugged casually. 'Why'd d'you ask the question?'

'Because.'

'Well I like autumn, because.'

'Oh go on!' Amy begged. 'Tell me!'

'OK, fine.' He said with a sigh. 'There's a bench in a park near my house. When I was little my Nan used to take me there when the leaves started to turn red and gold and brown… We'd sit there and she'd teach me the names of all the different trees and stuff. I used to love just sitting there listening to her talk, watching the leaves fall and smelling the woody, burnt smell in the air…' He turned slightly red as he finished talking.

Amy smiled.

'You know…you're really a very sweet person Lee.'

'Considering I'm a man and we hate being called sweet, I should take that as an insult.' He smiled slightly. 'But coming from you I'll take it as a compliment.'

'You should.' She felt her cheeks grow warm as he smiled at her.

'So…I believe it was my turn to ask a question.' Lee said, leaning back into his seat.

'Go ahead.' She said, picking up her drink and taking a sip.

'What's your favourite flower?'

'My favourite flower?' she laughed.

'Yep.' He grinned. 'I want to know your favourite flower.'

'Erm…I like daisies.'

'Daisies?' He smiled, one eyebrow raised.

'White daisies.' She nodded.

'Why daisies?' He lifted his drink up to his lips, his eyes still on Amy. She blushed slightly.

'Because.'

'That's not an answer.'

'That's all you're going to get.' She smiled slightly.

'I told you why I liked autumn.' He pointed out.

'Don't care.' She shook her head. 'Not telling.'

'But that's not fair!'

'Life's not fair.' She grinned.

'I really hate that saying.' He sighed dramatically.

'OK, my turn.' Amy grinned. 'What do you want to do when you leave Hogwarts?'

'Radio presenter.' Lee said immediately.

'Seriously?' Amy rested her chin in her hand.

'Yeah.' He grinned, leaning forward slightly. 'I like doing the commentaries here at Hogwarts but I don't want to do that forever…Radio is the next step.'

'You know, actually I think you might be quite good at that.' Amy smiled.

'Might?' He raised his eyebrows.

'OK, you'd definitely be quite good.' She grinned.

'_Quite_ good?'

'Yep.' Amy grinned and leaned back into her seat. 'Quite good.'

'Thanks a bunch…' He shook his head with a laugh.

'Anytime.' She grinned.

'So what about you?' He asked. 'What would you like to do once you've finished here?'

'Honestly?' Amy shook her head. 'I don't know.'

'Not a clue?' His eyebrows went up in surprise.'

'No. Well, my dad wanted. Wants.' She corrected herself. 'He _wants_ me to go into the Ministry. Maybe into his department.'

'But you don't want to.' He guessed.

'No.' Amy shook her head. 'I don't know… Law's never really interested me. I did think of maybe being a teacher, like my mum, but…'

'What?' He smiled.

'I just… I've kind of been thinking lately…'

'Go on.' He nodded encouragingly.

'I just… I've really enjoyed researching the potions and stuff these last few weeks.' Amy said, her eyes lowered, following her finger as she trailed it round the rim of her tankard. 'And I've been thinking that maybe I'd like do something like that when I leave…'

'You really enjoy hanging out with us strange people so much?' He grinned. Amy smiled at her glass.

'Yeah, actually. It's fun. Researching the potions, trying to figure out the best methods and whether if I add a half drop of this will help that or not… Plus the company isn't that bad either.' She lifted her eyes and grinned.

'I think I can agree with that.' He grinned back.

'But it's a stupid idea anyway.' She said, lifting her tankard. 'I'd never be able to do it.'

'Why not?' His brow was furrowed as she drunk some of the warm butterbeer.

'Because.' She shrugged. 'My dad would never let me. He'd probably disown me or something. Failure to the Cassidy Ravenclaw pride or something...'

'Seriously?' His eyes widened. 'You're parents don't know?'

'Nope.' She shook her head. 'I told you he wants me to go into the Ministry. Eleven perfect O.W.L.s, and at least five perfect N.E.W.T.s, followed by magical law college in America and then working at his side at the Ministry, in time to take over from him when he retires. That's his plan. Not helping out in a jokeshop.'

'Does he know you don't want to go into the Ministry?' Lee asked, frowning.

'Nope.' Amy shook her head. 'That's why I told Fred and George I'd only help you out if you didn't tell anyone about it.'

'What about your friends? Lee asked, still frowning. 'Won't they wonder if you're disappearing every day to help us out next year?'

'My best friend Daisy knows.' Amy admitted, lowering her eyes again. 'I'm not talking to one of my friends though, and that's kind of cut me off from the others a bit.'

'And what about your mum?' Lee asked. 'You said she was great. Couldn't she try and talk to your dad?'

'Not really.' Amy smiled mirthlessly, her eyes still on the empty tankard in front of her. 'It's complicated.'

'I just don't think it's fair.' Lee was still frowning. 'Why should you have to do what he wants instead of what you'd like? Have _you_ tried talking to him? Maybe-'

'No.' Amy shook her head. 'And I'm not going to. Not in the near future anyway.'

'But you would?'

'Maybe.' Amy lifted her eyes and sighed. 'If it got too bad I might. Can we change the subject now please?'

'Sure.' Lee nodded. 'Do you want another drink?' he asked, suddenly noticing their empty tankards.

'Oh yeah.' Amy nodded and started rummaging through her bag for her moneybag. His hand stopped her.

'On me.' He grinned.

'Thanks.' She smiled back at him.

Her eyes followed his back as he turned and made his way through the crowd to the bar. She smiled as she watched him say something to the barmaid, Madam Rosmerta, who laughed and pretended to hit him over the back of the head. She suddenly realised she was staring at him and she'd look pretty stupid if he suddenly turned round and saw her there, gawking at him. Quickly she turned her head and observed the various groups and couples chatting and laughing at different tables. She smiled as she spotted Cho and Cedric Diggory sitting at a similarly small table in a corner, holding hands and leaning forwards, talking to each other in low voices. She saw Marietta Edgecombe sitting to one side, snogging the face off one of the boys from Beauxbatons and grinned, it wasn't strange to see her there with a boy. Hesitantly she waved and smiled back, feeling a bit self-conscious, as several people greeted her from around the room.

'Here you go.' Lee set the two drinks down on the table and sat back down in his chair. Amy started and turned back to him.

'Oh. Thanks.' She grabbed one of the butterbeers and took a long sip.

'OK.' Lee said, setting his drink back down. 'I believe it was your turn to ask a question.'

Amy thought for a minute.

'OK,' she grinned, 'I told you cats were my favourite animal. So are large hairy tarantulas yours?'

'I like big cats.' He grinned. 'Jaguars.'

'Why jaguars?' Amy grinned.

'They're sleek, dark and sexy-looking like me.' He smiled sexily.

'Really?' Amy said, tilting her head in interest. 'Are their heads as big as yours too?'

* * *

'No, no, no!' Amy laughed as they came back out of Honeydukes into the cold street. 

'Yes!' Lee argued. 'I'm telling you Leicester will top Huddersfield this year!'

'Nope.' She shook her head. 'The Hedgehogs are too good.'

'The Lizards have got Hunter Jameson, though.'

'So? The Hedgehogs have got Gary Hound.'

'Oh come on!' Lee exclaimed. 'Gary Hound? He's the biggest prat on the planet!'

'True, but he's also the best Chaser.' Amy pointed out.

'I can't believe you think he's a good Chaser…' He shook his head. 'Sarah Commons is way better!'

'She's never scored a point!'

'She's excellent at stealing the Quaffle though.'

'True.' Amy conceded. 'But so's Hound!'

'Yeah but-'

'_And_ he scores goals.'

'OK, yeah but-'

'Best beaters?' Amy asked, raising her eyebrows.

'Fred and George.' He said automatically.

'We said only official players.' Amy reminded him.

'Don't care.' He shrugged. 'Still Fred and George.'

Amy laughed.

'OK. Agreed. Just don't tell them I said it.'

'Deal.' Lee grinned. 'So. We've got about an hour before we have to get back. Where do you want to go?'

Amy looked around and considered for a few moments. They'd been in the pub for a couple of hours, talking about every subject under the sun and having a great time. Amy's slight self-consciousness had slowly disappeared as the afternoon wore on and they grew more comfortable in each other's company. They'd then gone into Zonko's and stocked up on essentials, checking out the competition as they went. As they'd walked over to Honeydukes Amy had spotted Bethany coming out of a pink, girly-looking café with a blonde boy Amy recognized form the Beauxbatons group. She'd turned her back on her and had continued talking animatedly to Lee.

It was just starting to get dark on the horizon now but there were still people out on the streets: groups of Hogwarts students talking and laughing, couples walking along hand in hand, and as she glanced round, Amy saw a group of three hags come out of the Hogs Head and head off down the street. She'd been everywhere she wanted to go really.

'I don't mind.' She said, finally. 'You decide.'

'How about a walk up to the Shrieking Shack?' He suggested.

'Sure.' Amy nodded, suddenly feeling the butterflies in her stomach reappear as she realized they'd probably be alone up there. She may not be the most experienced witch love-wise, but even she could guess what would happen then, and this suddenly made her mind dry up. They'd been talking non-stop all day but now she couldn't think of anything to say. As they walked in silence, side by side, through the streets, Lee reached out and took her hand. She looked up at him. He was smiling at her. She smiled back, feeling her cheeks get warm.

As they trudged up the hill to the Shack, Amy felt the butterflies begin to flutter faster. She took a deep breath and told herself to calm down, that she was being stupid. He might not even be meaning to kiss her or anything. Maybe he just _really_ wanted to see the scary, old, dark house in front of them.

'Or maybe not…' Amy thought, swallowing as they stopped walking and he put his arm around her shoulder. She looked up at him and saw that he was once again smiling down at her. She felt her face smile back as she suddenly noticed the gold glints in his warm, dark chocolate brown eyes. She swallowed again. He really did have amazing eyes. As he leaned his face closer, she tilted hers up to meet it.

Then they banged noses.

As he pulled back a bit and chuckled, Amy felt her butterflies complaining intensely. He turned to face her and moved his hand to the back of her head.

'Lets try that again…' He murmured, gently bringing her face closer to his.

The moment his lips touched hers, her eyes flew shut and she felt the butterflies in her stomach go into overdrive. So this was what a real kiss felt like. She'd only ever kissed two boys before and they didn't really count as proper kisses. The first had been a Scottish boy called Owen Caughy when she was in France one summer two and half years ago. He'd been both nearly two years older than her and drunk. She hadn't really liked him but had wanted to see what kissing a boy felt like. She hadn't been impressed.

The second one was Eddie. He probably didn't even remember it. They'd been joking around at her birthday party the year before -when they were all drunk- and they'd ended up kissing. It hadn't meant anything though and Amy hadn't felt a thing, apart from sloppy, wet, Firewhisky-tasting lips on hers.

Lee's hand was now running through her hair, causing shivers up and down her back, and his other hand was at her waist, pulling her closer to him. She smiled into the kiss and lifted her arms to wrap them around his neck.

This was _nothing_ like kissing Eddie or Owen.

Lee tasted of butterbeer and the toffees they'd bought in Honeydukes. Closer then they'd been in the secret passageway, she could now smell his spicy scent to perfection, and she liked it. It reminded her of warm summer days and spicy Jamaican food. His kisses were almost as soft as his lips and Amy felt herself relax totally. This was what it was meant to be like. So there were no fireworks like the ones described in her books…She had a feeling they were probably exaggerated anyway. She didn't think any kiss could be better than the one right at that moment.

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE:** OK. I'm sorry. I'm late. I know. I'm sorry. But here it is! Chapter 7 is up! I also want to apologise about the "35 reviews" thing...I've realised it was a _très_ bad idea, and I definitely won't be doing that again. I hope no one feels annoyed about it, but please keep in mind that this is my first long fic online and that I am learning as I go along! Thanks to you lovely reviewers who put up with me anyway and thanks also to _Moonlight's Serenity_ for the advice! 

Couple of things:

1)My list of excuses is now on my profile. I figured I was repeating it so much, it might be a good idea to have it fixed somewhere, so there you go.

2)Some of you aren't happy about the Amy/Lee pairing...Bear with me. Please.

3)I'm doing so much research and preparation on my characters and stuff that I really want to share it with you guys so I'm oging to start putting an _Interesting Notes_ bit at the end of my Authors Note. You don't have to read it if you don't want, but I'd like to put it anyway.

4)Chapter 8 will be up as soon as I can get it written through h/w, studying etc.

5)I've posted a new "short" two part fic called **THE WEDDING** based on Harry and Ginny's wedding day. Please go read it! Part one is up and the second should be up soon now I've finished Chapter 7 of _Beautiful Prank_...Thank you!

6)Can someone please try and explain to me how it is I have more hits on the 6th Chapter than either the 3rd, 4th or 5th? Please?!

_INTERESTING NOTES: _Names

Cassidy: Clever (perfect for Ravenclaw no?)

Daisy: Have any of you ever heard of a little fictional girl called Milly Molly Mandy? Her real name is Millicent Margaret Amanda. The three Brocklehurst sisters are called Mildred (Milly), Margaret (Daisy) and Amanda (Mandy)...

Jacob: Jacob Black from Stephenie Meyer's _Twilight_!!

Conary + Morathy: (Amy's dad & uncle) wise (again perfect for Ravenclaw no?)

**_REVIEW!!!_** (plate of cookies for everyone who does!)


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